Second Chances
by soprano193
Summary: Life for Cal and Gillian after Fox cancelled the damn show. Because they are stupid! How cal and Gillian fell in love, with eventual OCs, a sort of prequel to The Bloody Game. Chapter 44 is up!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** So my other story, The Bloody Game, has a little bit of a backstory to it. So I decided to actually go into the backstory more. I hope it can live up to expectations!

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Emily had known all along. Her father loved Gillian. It was very exciting, because Gillian was her best friend. And what adolescent girl doesn't want her best friend to be a part of her family? Usually, it means trying to hook up her friend's parents with her parents. So, naturally, this was a very different process.

At dinner with her dad, she did some probing. "So, what exactly do you feel for Gillian?"

"None of ya business, eat your toast."

"That strongly, huh?" She took a sip of her water. "Look, I've steered clear of this topic for a few days. So, what's your plan?"

"Nothing, Em. She obviously doesn't feel the same way about me. I've been flirting for years, and have never gotten a second look." It was true. He had been flirting for a long time. Gillian either never noticed, or never reciprocated. "What's the point? And why are you droning on and on about it?"

"No reason, I just want you to be happy, you deserve that much." It was true. Out of everyone in her life, her dad deserved as much happiness as he could get. He seemed to have given up on real relationships. Wallowski was just a way to get what he physically wanted, but she didn't connect with him at an emotional level. He had been alone for a number of years, with only Emily to keep him company.

"I'm happy as long as you are around, luv."

She flashed him a small smile and looked back at her meal. That was what she was most worried about. She was leaving for college soon. She was looking all across the country, but her top choices at the moment were in Chicago and California. Soon she would be several time zones away from her father. If he was only happy with her around, well, eventually that would not be a possibility because of her location. And she was not about to let him follow her. He needed something else. Someone else.

"Aw, thanks dad." She teased, her mind already thinking of a few ways to make this work. This was going to take some time, and careful planning. If she did this correctly, she could get her dad a new girlfriend in no time!

The morning started with Gillian. It almost always did, which definitely brightened his day. She barged into his office wearing a navy blue, form fitting, short sleeved dress. The pearls around her neck were the perfect accent, and her hair was pulled back into a half-ponytail, to keep the stray hairs out of her eyes. He could hear her coming from the click of her heels across the floor. She was followed by two men in suits. "Cal, these are detectives Johnson and Connelly from the Police department. They need our help on a case."

Johnson spoke first. "We need you to help locate a missing child." He held up a picture of a girl, aged around six or seven, with blonde hair, brown eyes, and pale skin. In the picture she was wearing a purple sweater, and hugging a golden retriever. "This is Phoebe Jackson. She has been missing for seventy-two hours. We have interviewed people close to her, and don't have any leads."

Gillian watched him knowingly, already aware of his response, before he even said a word. Cal couldn't say no to the case. He couldn't say no to any case involving a child. He always imagined Emily in these cases. It broke his heart in the worst possible way, but it drove him to solve it that much faster. Gillian also was unable to say no. She had always been very compassionate, and although, not a mother herself, she understood the pain of losing a child. Sophie had been taken from her against her will, so she fought harder to return lost children to their parents.

Cal stood up. "I'll need to start with the parents first!" He walked out of the office and down the hall without checking to see if they were following. Gillian gestured that the men should follow, and started after him.

Cal and Gillian sat in an interview room with Daphne and Harold Jackson. They looked distraught, as anyone would in a situation like this, Harold's head in his palms, and dark circles underneath both of their eyes. Gillian asked the questions. "Can you tell me what Phoebe was wearing when you last saw her?"

"She was wearing jeans and a grey t-shirt with an elephant on it. She loves elephants." Daphne had to hold back her sobs while she was talking.

"And can you describe to me what she was doing the last time you saw her?" Gillian asked, her voice soft, leaning toward the mother across from her.

"She was going to school. I put her on the bus. She sat down and waved at me as it drove away. I never thought that would be the last time I saw my baby." Harold's shoulders racked with sobs.

"Where were you two while she was at school?" Gillian continued.

"Harold works in construction, he had a job down by town hall. I work for an accounting firm. I was at the office all day." Daphne's pupils dilated at the mention of the office.

"That's strange" Cal butted in. "You were telling the truth, but you showed arousal when you talked about the office."

Daphne was defensive. "I did not." She sat back from the table, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Well now you're lying through your teeth. What's got you all hot and bothered about the office?" Cal continued with the line of questioning, and Gillian glared at him.

"Cal." Gillian warned. When she said his name like that, the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. He always knew when he was out of line by the way that she said his name.

"Seriously. My daughter is missing, and you want to know about my day at the office? Go to Hell!" Daphne was mad, but Cal could tell from the way that Gillian tilted her head back that she had caught on to something.

"Mrs. Jackson, I'm sorry, but your husband is right here. You just referred to Phoebe as my daughter, as opposed to our daughter. Is there a reason for that?"

"I suppose it's because whoever she is having that office romance with is potentially Phoebe's real father," Cal stated. Daphne put her head down and covered her eyes with her hand. Shame. "Yep, I thought so. So what is his name? We might need to talk to him."

"George Chase." She answered, her voice small. Harold looked stunned, as if his world had shattered, and Cal could tell it was genuine.

"You guys are free to go." Cal said with a wave of his hand. Before they left, Cal got up and left the room, storming down the hallway.

Gillian was hot on his heels, the click of her shoes giving away the fact that she was following him. "Cal, where are you going?"

"To Daphne's firm. I want to have a talk with George." He answered, without turning around.


	2. Chapter 2

Cal was sitting in George's office with Connelly. Gillian had gone to the school, to find out exactly when Phoebe had gone missing. They planned to meet up for lunch later and swap notes, hoping something would lead them to the missing girl.

"How long have you and Mrs. Jackson been having an affair?" Connelly played the part of Gillian, asking questions while Cal observed.

George seemed genuinely surprised by that question. "Ten years, off and on. I honestly believed that we had done a good job of keeping it a secret." He pushed back from his desk, distancing himself from the uncomfortable situation.

Cal spoke up. "Well, not much stays hidden from me." He replied, his voice flat.

"Were you aware that Phoebe could be your daughter?" Connelly asked, sticking to the list of questions that Cal had given him.

George nodded. "Yes. But I was told that no matter what, she was Harold's daughter. Harold and Daphne had been trying, so Harold got to be dad, even if she was mine biologically."

"Do you know who Phoebe belongs to, biologically?" Connelly continued.

George shook his head. "Honestly, no. I don't know if Daphne ever did a paternity test."

Cal spoke again, "But you have suspicions." It was a statement, not a question.

George's lips pursed into a small smile for a second before he spoke. "I believe she is mine. She looks more like me than she looks like Harold." Cal could tell he wanted her, was proud of her.

"Would you take her?" Cal asked, bluntly, his head cocked to the left while he read the man's face.

"As in kidnap her? No, I wouldn't. Even if she was mine biologically. I barely know her. I don't know her nicknames, her favorite color, what she likes to eat. I don't know what she is allergic to, or her fears. Plus, I am a workaholic, I would never be home. I can't adequetly provide for her. So I wouldn't take her." Cal could hear the disappointment in his voice while he spoke, and couldn't imagine not knowing all of that stuff about Emily.

Connelly started to ask another question, but Cal stopped him. "He's telling the truth. Let's go, anything else would be a waste of time." With that, Cal stood up and left, without bothering to see if Connelly had followed him.

Gillian was already sitting down at that diner with a chocolate milkshake in her hand. Cal sat down across from her. She looked tired and worn, but these cases always did that to her. He leaned back in his chair. "You have the biggest sweet tooth out of everyone I know." She smiled. He always knew how to make her smile when she was in the worst of moods.

"Today I needed it. No one at Phoebe's school saw anything. She was seen all day, right up until the end, but she never made it on to the bus. Did you get anything from George?" She took a sip of the milkshake, savoring the flavor, while listening to his response.

Cal could see how distraught she was. "No, luv, George didn't kidnap her. He believes that she is his, but he didn't take her. Did you talk to everyone at the school?"

She shook her head, swallowing the mouthful of milkshake before she spoke. "No. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. The librarian, Allison Kelly, has called out of work for the past week. She says that her cousin died. But I think we should talk to her anyway."

"Alright, luv. I'll tag along. Just tell me when." He got up to leave.

"Cal, I'm not done with my milkshake yet, and I haven't paid. Sit back down." Cal did what she said, and she laughed at the fact that she had that power over him. She was the only person that he truly trusted, and therefore, did anything he could to please her.

"How much longa then?" He asked, with a smirk on his face.

"Not much. How's Emily?" she asked, changing the subject.

He loved talking about Emily, but he wanted to stay far away from that subject for now. Emily had been bugging him about his feelings for Gillian, and he was afraid something might slip out. "Well, she's alright. She's got herself a new boyfriend, Adam. Adam is a football player." He grimaced at her before continuing. "Adam also has a two-month old with an ex-girlfriend." Gillian raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I'm hoping that both of them trying to help out with the baby will teach her to be careful with birth control. I don't even know how involved Adam is with his son. The whole thing scares the bloody daylights out of me."

Gillian took a moment for everything to sink in, formulating her thoughts before she spoke. "Well, hopefully he has at least learned that his consequences have actions. And I think that if he is involved with his son, Emily will see that it's hard, and she will be careful as well. The last thing she needs is a baby at her age."

Gillian had finished her milkshake. She left a five on the table and stood up. "Ready to go?" she asked him with a smile. Cal followed her to the podium, where she told the person there that she had left money on the table and was all set with change. She left the building, and walked over to her car. When she got to the driver's side she turned around, and looked at Cal. "Do you want to follow me or shall I follow you?"

"You have the address luv, I'll follow you."

She got into her car, and plugged the address into her GPS. It would take about 15 minutes to get there.

She liked talking to Cal about his life. Ever since Alec left, hers had become so boring. Sure, she had that thing with Burns, but he had left too, even if it wasn't his choice to do so. Cal had been the only constant in her life. She could always depend on him when she needed him, whether it was to bounce ideas off of him, or to cry on his shoulder, he had been there. And he always seemed to know exactly what to do, from just a hug, or a well-timed joke, or just to cuddle on the couch with her while she cried. And she loved to watch him with Emily. It was great to see such an involved father. Emily was an amazing woman, and, strangely enough, one of Gillian's closest friends. When Emily had a problem, she came to Gillian first, before her mother, and before Cal. It was very sweet and heartwarming to Gillian to know that she had touched the woman in some way.


	3. Chapter 3

She was still thinking about Cal and Emily when they pulled into Allison Kelly's driveway. Gillian waited next to her car so that they could walk up to the house together. Cal was the first to the door, and knocked on it three times. A petite woman answered the door. "I don't want to buy anything, and I have found Jesus already, thank you." She started to close the door in their face, annoyed at the intrusion.

Cal answered, "That's not why we are here, and that last part was a lie."

She was taken aback by his response. She looked instead at Gillian. "Then, what can I do for you?"

"We need to ask you some questions about Phoebe Jackson, a missing student at the school where you work." Gillian cut to the chase immediately.

"I heard about that. Her family must be beside themselves with worry." She opened the door and let them in. They entered, and stood awkwardly in the middle of her living room. "I don't know how much help I can be. I was out for the past week." She continued, her back to them as she closed the door.

"Yes, we heard about your loss. I'm very sorry." Gillian was sincere.

"Amy. She was like a daughter to me. Her mother was in and out of rehab, and I was the only one who would take her on. She had Lymphoma, which was hard on a lot of other family members. She was only nine, you know. So young." Her head fell and Gillian saw a single tear streak down her cheek.

Cal got a look at one of the pictures on the wall. The little girl pictured had blonde hair that was the same length as Phoebe's. She also had brown eyes. So he went for it. "You know, looking at this picture of your cousin, she looks a lot like Phoebe, Don't you think?"

"I suppose, they do look similar." She seemed apprehensive, fiddling with her hands, looking Cal straight in the eyes. So Cal started walking around, looking through doors, and peering in cabinets, not being quiet at all about his snooping. "Cal." Gillian warned. She could see this was distressing Allison. But usually there was a method or reason for Cal's madness, so she watched closely, and didn't exert any more effort to stop him than her firm voice. He stormed back into the living room. While he was searching, Allison had moved toward the back of the room, stood by a closed doorway and crossed her arms.

"What's through that door, Allison?" Cal asked, as it was the only place he hadn't looked yet.

"Nothing." She backed up, closing the door off to his investigation.

He placed a hand in the small of Gillian's back, sending shivers up her spine. "Gillian, luv, I need you to go through that door please." He removed his hand, and moved slowly toward Allison, who had collapsed into a heap of tears on the floor. Gillian's heart ached for the woman, who just really wanted her cousin back. Cal gathered the crying woman in his arms, and she curled into him. "You know what to do." He said to Gillian, knowingly.

Gillian opened the door and went through it without a question. Cal held Allison awkwardly while she cried. "I just wanted Amy back. She was perfect. I have known her for her entire life. I have been there with her every step of her illness. Phoebe was perfect. She is the spitting image of Amy, and she's not sick. She can never leave me." She sobbed, and Cal rubbed her back, knowing that Gillian would find the girl, and call to police. He just had to keep Allison there and keep her stable.

When Gillian got downstairs, she saw a bedroom that was covered in pink, and filled with stuffed animals. "Phoebe?" she called. Nothing stirred. She tried again. "It's okay, Phoebe. My name is Gillian, I work with the police."

A little blonde head poked out from under the blankets. It was Phoebe. She was unharmed and safe, but began to cry, obviously afraid. Gillian gave her a hug, and stroked her hair. "You're safe now sweetie, don't cry." She pulled out her cell phone, and called Connelly. "This is Dr. Gillian Foster, from the Lightman Group. We found her, alive. Please get here as soon as you can, and alert her parents." She hung up, and Phoebe spoke.

"She told me she had a special book for me, but that I needed to come with her to get it. She was always so nice to me at the library, always knew exactly what books I liked to read. But why did she keep me down here?" She was genuinely confused and a little scared. Gillian just continued to stroke her hair and comfort her until the police arrived.

Gillian came into Cal's office. She carried two glasses with her, covered in flowers. Cal poured scotch into both glasses, and they drank, as was their custom after a particularly emotionally draining case. He spoke first. "Allison Kelly is planning on pleading guilty. Daphne and Harold Jackson are splitting up. For a custody arrangement, they will need a DNA test, which we know will prove that George is the father, and Harold will have to fight for rights to see the daughter he has raised for the past seven years." He felt bad for Harold. If he lost Emily, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. Phoebe was that man's life.

"At least she is alive. At least Phoebe is safe. And I can sleep better tonight knowing that." Gillian added, and it was true. Phoebe had clung to Gillian after the police had arrived, and the whole time at the precinct, waiting for her parents, unwilling to let go of the nice woman who had saved her. Gillian was going to have nightmares that night, but they would have been worse if Phoebe had died. "I'm going home. It was a long day." She stood up, shaking her head. "Goodnight Cal."

"Goodnight luv. Drive safe." He answered her.

"I'll be on my cell, if you need me." She left his office and walked toward hers. She was almost there when she heard a voice behind her. "Hi, Gill"

She turned around. Only people who really knew her called her Gill, so she wasn't surprised when she saw Emily behind her. She smiled warmly at the brunette. "Hi, Em. What's up?"

"Can I talk to you?" Emily asked, her voice higher in pitch. Gillian thought she sounded nervous.

"Of course." Gillian gestured toward her office, and Emily followed. They sat down on the couch together.

Emily had to be careful. She didn't want Gillian to know what she was really up to. "There is this boy. I've been friends with him forever, like, almost five years. I think I really like him." She started.

Gillian interrupted. "You mean Adam? Your dad thinks you guys are already dating."

Emily smiled and shook her head. "Well, not yet, but I'm interested. Dad always thinks interested means dating." She rolled her eyes, and Gillian laughed at her. "But nothing is official. I don't even know if he likes me. We have been friends for so long, that I just don't want to mess up the relationship we already have. Do you understand what I mean?"

Gillian understood all too well. She had feelings for Cal, but wasn't sure if he reciprocated. Plus, there was that awkward dynamic of their partnership, and their long-standing friendship that dates way back into Emily's childhood. And, yes, Cal flirted, but the amount of flirting doesn't always correlate with how much someone likes another person. "Yes, I get where you are coming from." Gillian finally answered. "What about his kid? Does that complicate things in your mind?"

Emily shook her head again. "No. He is an amazing dad, if anything, I want to be more careful. I don't want that yet. But he is really involved with his son's upbringing. It actually makes me a little more attracted to him." She smiled as she talked about him, and Gillian could see the admiration in her eyes.

Gillian understood where Emily was coming from. Cal was great with Emily, and seeing them interact was a huge turn-on. "I get that too. It seems like you have a great guy on your hands."

"Can you just hypothetically put yourself into my shoes? I mean, you and Dad have been friends forever. If you had feelings for him, how would you approach it?"

Gillian smiled. "Your dad and I have a little bit of a different relationship, it's more complex. I can't really put him into that equation. But If I were in your exact shoes, I would go for it."

Emily smiled. Gillian had deflected. She had feelings for her dad. Now she just had to figure out what to do with this new information. "Thanks, Gill. I know I can always count on you to talk me through things!"


	4. Chapter 4

Emily left her dad's office and drove home. She was staying with Zoe that night. She needed a plan, and she needed her father not to butt into what she was doing. This involved him, and he couldn't catch on.

It was always hard keeping things from her father. He could always tell when she was up to no good. Sometimes it was okay, it always kept her from doing something stupid. If she knew she would just get in trouble anyway, what was the point? But sometimes it was just annoying, especially when she was doing something to benefit him. No, he couldn't know about this.

She came home to an empty house. There was a note on the kitchen table. _Emily, I have to work late tonight. Dinner is in the microwave. I love you, Mom_. Typical.

Emily reheated her dinner, pot roast and potatoes, and tried to figure out the next course of action. Now that she knew that Gillian had the same feelings, it was okay to push forward. Why couldn't they see that they were both madly in love? They spend their lives reading other people, why couldn't they tell when it came to each other? This is why they needed an outside force. They needed Emily to push them together. They would both be happier in the long run.

She went upstairs and pulled out her phone. She waited patiently on her bed for Adam to answer. Her room at moms was different than at dads. It was smaller, and painted a lavender color. It hadn't changed for years. She had a twin sized bed shoved up against one wall, with white blankets. There was a small television set at the foot of her bed. The desk was on the other side of her room. It was covered with papers, messily strewn about, different things highlighted, and little post it notes everywhere. Her sanctuary. She was seriously considering a career in writing.

"Hello" she heard Adam answer, and heard a baby crying in the background.

"I'm sorry! Did I wake Brad up?" Her voice got high pitched and panicky.

"No, you didn't Em, he's been crying all day. What's up?" He sounded exhausted, and she would too if a baby had been crying all day.

Emily ignored his question. "Why has he been crying all day?"

"He's got a cold. It sucks, and he feels miserable. There's not much I can do. But what's up with you? How can I help you?"

"I need to teach you how to lie to my dad." And she told him her plan. And it was brilliant, if she did say so herself.

Cal's phone beeped. It was a message from Emily. **HEY. DO U THINK U CLD TALK TO ADAM 4 ME?**

He was confused. Emily actually wanted him to talk to her almost boyfriend? He answered back. **Y?**

**I WANT TO SEE WHAT HIS INTENTIONS R. LIKE HIS PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL ND STUFF. U CAN TELL IF HE IS BEING TRUTHFUL.**

So she wanted to hire him, sort of. **I CAN IF U WANT ME TO LUV. R U SURE?**

**YES PLEASE. CALL HIM AFTER SCHOOL, INVITE HIM OUT FOR DINNER OR SUMTHING.** She sent the contact info to Cal. He was baffled. It was never this easy.

Two hours later he was making the call. Adam picked up almost immediately. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Dr. Lightman, Emily's dad. Since you are interested in my daughter, I think we should meet, and talk man to man." This was strange. He preferred catching his daughter's boyfriends in lies as she rushed them out of the house to avoid him. He didn't really know what to do in this situation.

"Of course, sir. If that's what you want. Would tonight work? I have Brad for the weekend." He answered.

"Sure, the sooner the better. How about we meet at Panera, at 8?"

"That works for me, sir." Sir?

"See ya latea then" Cal hung up the phone. Although strange, he was looking forward to this. This would be fun.

Emily looked over at Adam. "So what is the plan?"

"He wants to meet at Panera at 8. I almost gave myself away at the end. I almost told him I would see him later."

Emily laughed. She had instructed him not to meet her dad in person. She told him to only say things that were true. He did have Brad over the weekend, and Panera at 8 worked for him perfectly. He just wouldn't be there. This way, the deception would be harder to notice over the phone. "Thanks so much! I owe you one." She smiled.

"How about a date then?" He asked, smiling brilliantly.

Her cheeks turned red. She never thought it would actually happen. "When?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Well, I'm free tonight, and we know your dad will be out. So, maybe a movie?" he suggested.

"Uh, sure, I guess." She sounded like a dork. "Pick me up at 8;30?"

"It's a date." He leaned toward her and pecked her cheek. If she wasn't blushing before, she was then. She rushed to her car, and closed the door. She silently thanked God over and over. When she got over her shock, she drove to the Lightman group. She had a plan to implement.

Gillian's office door was almost always open. This time was no exception, and Emily walked right in. "Hey, Gill!" She called as she entered, a smile on her face.

Gillian looked up from her computer, and greeted the teen with her warm smile. "Hi, Em. Can I help you with anything?"

Emily nodded and sat down in the seat in front of the desk. "Actually, yes. As you know, Adam has a son, and Dad doesn't exactly approve. I was hoping you could meet with us tonight, so you could meet him in person, and tell dad how great he is."

Gillian wasn't sure. Emily was her friend, but so was Cal, and she didn't like getting in the middle of hers and Cal's dynamic. But she was so tired of going home to an empty house. It might be nice to go out with someone, and just talk, even if they were about two decades younger than her.

Emily spoke again, "He trusts you, you know. If you say Adam is a good guy, he might back off a little."

Gillian sighed and nodded with a smile, conceding to the teen's wishes. "I guess I can do it. What time are we meeting?"

"Panera at 8. Thank you so much Gill!" The teen leaped up and hugged her tightly. "Just please don't tell dad. I don't want him to know that you get to meet Adam first."

"I won't tell him, don't worry." She laughed as Emily bounded out of the room

It was six o'clock when Cal left his office. He needed to tell his partner that it was going to be an early night. He walked down the hallway to her office. She also looked like she was packing to leave. "Got a hot date tonight?" he teased.

She turned around when she heard his voice, and smiled. "Well, I'm not sure about the hot part, but yeah, I'm meeting a few people."

He was a little surprised. Ever since the divorce, she had kind of been a loner. Sometimes Ria took her out, but she hadn't dated at all since Burns, and had gone out even less. "I'm happy for you" he replied genuinely. If anyone deserved a night out, it was Gillian. "I'm actually leaving early too." He couldn't tell her he was interrogating Adam. She hated that he meddled so much in Emily's life. "I'll walk you out luv." He gestured toward the door.

They walked toward the front together. He looked her up and down. He wished he could spend the night with her instead of doing this fishing expedition for Emily. They got to their respective cars. "Well, have a nice night luv."

She planned on it. "You too, Cal." With that she shut her door, and drove away.


	5. Chapter 5

Emily felt like a stalker outside of the restaurant. But she had to choose the perfect moment to tell her father that Adam wasn't coming, but that he wouldn't be alone. She watched him arrive at 7:45. He was early, which was expected. Emily knew that this was an opportunity that he would never be late to. She watched him sit down at a booth near the back. She pulled out her phone, and texted Gillian. **WE R HERE ALREADY. TAKE YOUR TIME. WE HAVE A BOOTH NEAR THE BACK OF PANERA.**

Next, she composed a text to her father, but waited for the perfect time to send it. When she saw Gillian walk into Panera, she hit send. She smiled to herself as she drove away; she had her own date to get ready for.

Cal's phone chimed, a text from Emily. He had a notebook of questions in front of him that he was supposed to ask Adam, and frankly he was a little confused. But he would do anything for his daughter, and if that meant asking awkward questions to her almost boyfriend, then he would do it. Besides, he liked seeing the boyfriends squirm. He unlocked his phone.

**SO ADAM CLDNT MAKE IT, SO I SENT SUMONE ELSE INSTEAD. DON'T FORGET TO ASK ALL OF THE ?S OK! I WILL KNO IF U DON'T!** Wait, Adam couldn't make it, so she was sending another boy? What was going on? When he heard a familiar voice behind him, his hair stood on edge. "Cal? What are you doing here?" Cal turned around to see Gillian, looking drop dead gorgeous as usual. She was wearing a dark purple dress, that was short sleeved, and somewhat low cut. Her hair was loosely curled and fell gracefully around her shoulders. The skirt was loose, not necessarily as form fitting as Cal would like, but it left a lot to his imagination. He felt underdressed next to her in his jeans and white t-shirt.

"Well, I was supposed to be meeting Adam tonight, but I guess he couldn't make it. Are your friends here?"

Gillian looked confused. "Cal, I was supposed to be meeting Emily and Adam here. What's going on?"

It suddenly clicked in Cal's head. "Well, luv, I think this is a set up." Gillian laughed. Her laugh was musical, and he loved it. "Well, you might as well sit down, luv. You drove all the way out here for a night out, so that is what you will have."

She sat across from him in the booth, and tried not to blush. This was interesting. Wherever did Emily get the idea that they needed a date? She sometimes went out for a drink or two with Cal after a really tough case, and had joined them for dinner, but this was new and strange territory. She noticed the notebook that sat on the table. "What's this?" Cal tried to grab it before her, but he was too slow, and started fidgeting. "Where do you see this relationship going?" She read the first question. Suddenly, she really understood. Emily wanted them to talk. Like, really talk.

"We don't have to do those, luv." He looked embarrassed.

"I think we do. Someone went through a lot of trouble. We owe her to at least try, don't you think?"

He agreed. "I do. But can we start with a different question? That seems like a tough one to start with. Let me see." He took the notebook from her and picked one. "What are your true feelings?"

She blushed. "I don't know Cal." This was it. Should she be honest with him, and tell him how she felt? Would he be able to tell if she was lying anyway? She decided just to go for it. "I like that you can always make me laugh. Always. Even when my house has been ransacked, or I'm just having a bad day, or the case we are working is horrible and I just want to cry. I always feel safe with you. You are always there when I need you. You never let anything bad happen to me. Cal, you know everything about me, stuff I never even told Alec. You let me talk through all my issues with you, and you always comfort me. I guess I am saying that I love you."

He was visibly shocked. He never expected to hear that. "Gill, I have waited too long to hear you say that. You have always been in my heart. When I split with Zoe, all I wanted was someone in my life like you. But the only person I knew like that was you. And you were with Alec. And then you and Alec split, and I was happy. I shouldn't have been, but I was. I gave you champagne, to celebrate your divorce. But you didn't seem interested. So I was sure I was just going to have to love you from afar." They were both surprised. Neither of them had known what the other had truly thought up until that moment.

Cal asked the next question. "What are your fears, regarding our relationship?"

"That's easy, it's everything that has been holding me back. Our company, for starters, what happens if everything goes south? If we can't stand to even look at each other, what happens to our company? I love it there, Cal. I don't want to have to leave. Also, how do I fit into your family dynamic? You and Emily have everything all worked out. I don't want to be the person that ruins that. And our friendship. I value our friendship, more than anything. I don't want to lose what we have Cal, even though I want so much more."

"I understand that. But it's not fair for us to be unhappy. What if I promised you that if we happened to go south, which I don't like to think we would, that I would be an adult about the whole thing? That I wouldn't make you feel awkward around the office. I can change my schedule to accommodate you. And you wouldn't disrupt anything with me and Emily. Obviously, she really wants this for us!" Gillian laughed out loud. The young woman had gone through a lot of trouble just to get the two of them together like this. And it was extremely clever of her.

"So then, back to my first question. Where do you see this relationship going?" Gillian raised her eyebrows and leaned forward, anticipating his answer.

"How about to a real restaurant?" He grinned.


	6. Chapter 6

Cal insisted on a real date. He followed Gillian back to her house, just so he could pick her up properly. When she got in his car, he tried to ease the awkwardness right away. "Oy, Gill! Way to show me up! I'm a bit undadressed, don't ya think?"

She started laughing immediately. "I wasn't sure what the plans were. I have to be ready for everything! This is nice enough to eat somewhere fancy, but comfortable enough to be casual." Even outside of work she was very practical.

"Well, lucky for you, I have a suit jacket in my trunk. How does Italian sound?"

Gillian answered with a moan. She loved Italian food. When they pulled up outside of the fancy restaurant, she was floored. "Cal, this is the most expensive restaurant in the city. We can get Italian anywhere else."

"I would spare no expense for your happiness."

They got a table relatively easily. They had the most delicious pasta dishes Gillian had ever tasted. They split a bottle of white wine. And Gillian ordered the largest chocolate molten lava cake she could. It was delicious, and melted in her mouth. There weren't words to describe chocolate. It melted in her mouth and made her feel all tingly and lightheaded.

They talked over dinner, but it had been mostly small talk, what was up with family, the weather, work. It wasn't until the cake came out that they decided to get down to business.

"So, this dinner was a great distraction, but where do you actually see this relationship going?" Gillian repeated the question for the third time that evening.

"Honestly, I don't know. I would love to date you. I would love for it to be long term. I'm not talkin' marriage or anything like that; I wouldn't know that for a while. Basically, this wouldn't just be a fling to me. I haven't connected with anyone like this in ages."

"What about Wallowski?"

"That was a purely physical relationship." Gillian looked hurt. "No! Wait, that came out wrong." Cal took a breath. "I am not looking to jump into bed with you right this minute. It doesn't mean that I don't want you. It means I am willing to take this slow for as long as you need, so our relationship would have the best chance to work."

"I'm willing to give it a shot. But I need some help from you. Total, brutal honesty. You can read me. You know if I am being truthful. I want the same assurance."

"I can't always tell with you, luv. You're my blind spot."

"That's not always true, and it won't stop you from trying to read me." She had a point. If he was always trying, he might read her wrong, and that could just lead to more arguments.

"I can work on that." He paid for dinner, and he walked her to the car. He opened the passenger side door for her. As he drove her home, her hand came to rest on his thigh. He was aroused. But he fought his urges. He was going to let Gillian call the shots.

He parked in her driveway, and ran around to open the door for her. "How chivalrous!" She exclaimed! He then walked her to the door, holding her hand, their fingers entwined. "I had a great time tonight Cal. Thank you, and thank Emily for me." She leaned in and kissed him, square on the mouth.

Cal kissed back, and was careful not to push too hard. Suddenly, he hands were on his head, running through his hair. He placed his hands on the curve of her beautiful hips. Her tongue tasted his bottom lip, and he parted his lips so their tongues could meet. She pushed her body into his, and slowly bit his bottom lip. They made out like this for a few minutes, fireworks exploding in his brain. Suddenly, she pulled away. "See you tomorrow?" She asked, with a grin on her face.

"Of course." He pecked her on the lips one more time before heading back to his car and driving off.

Gillian felt like a giggly schoolgirl all over again. She hadn't been looked at by a man like that in months, let alone made out with someone. And she could tell he wanted her, she could feel the evidence against her stomach. That's why she had pulled away; she didn't think she was ready for that quite yet. But the night was magical. She would have to thank Emily later.

When Cal got home, it was a little after midnight, and Emily was still up. She practically attacked him at the door. "How'd it go?"

"Don't you have school tomorrow? Go to bed already!"

"Did you ask her the questions? Did you guys talk? Are you officially a couple?"

"Yes, yes, and we're taking it slow. Seriously, go to bed."

So the conversation went, until Emily accepted the fact that she wouldn't get details tonight, and that she did have to be up early tomorrow. But she bounded up the stairs with a smile on her face. Her plan had worked. She got them to talk. And that's all the push they needed.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N** This chapter was hard to write. It's an odd transition one, but I think it captured some of the awkwardness, and some very heartwarming moments as well! Please review! Let me know what you would like more of! I'm still new at this, I have no clue what I am doing.

* * *

The next morning, Gillian walked straight into Cal's office. He was glad to see her of course, but he was especially glad after the events of the night before. Today she was wearing a lavender colored, loosely fitting blouse with long sleeves. The black pencil skirt stopped right at her knees. And her black heels had a little peep toe. She always looked ravishing. He grinned at her. "Good morning, luv!"

"Good morning, Cal. Can we talk for a bit?" She shut his office door. He kind of liked where this was going. She walked over to his desk, where he was sitting. "Can you do me a favor, and just keep everything I said last night between us? I don't want the office talking, it might affect their productivity."

"Yeah, of course, luv. Especially when we don't even really know what we are yet. The last thing we need is gossip while we're figuring things out."

"Thank you!" She breathed a sigh of relief. She walked around his desk to him sitting in his chair, leaned down, and kissed him. This one was quicker than the one last night, but no less passionate. Their tongues did a short dance before she realized that she was at the office, and that anyone could walk in. She pulled away, and left his office to walk to hers. She could practically feel herself blushing. Man, she could get used to kisses like that.

Along the way, she ran into Ria. "Hey, Gillian! Have you seen Lightman? I could really use his help on this. I can't get a clear read on this guy."

"Yeah, he's in his office."

"Are you feeling okay? Your cheeks are a little redder than usual. You're not sick, are you?" Ria backed away, afraid of catching whatever imaginary disease Gillian had. This made Gillian smile.

"Don't worry, Ria, I'm not contagious!" Ria couldn't catch this love bug from her!

* * *

Gillian had been out in the field all day with Loker. The Lightman Group was above cheating spouse cases, but sometimes, money was money, and without the FBI contract, they needed the money. Cal usually left those cases to her and Loker, because they had more patience with them. Meanwhile, he and his protégée were focusing on a murder case. It should have been cut and dry, but any excuse Cal had to take Ria out and asses her field work, he jumped at.

When Gillian finally arrived back at the Lightman Group, it was well past nine. She walked into the conference room, where her client was waiting. "Mrs. Harris." She held out her hand for the younger woman to shake. "Well, you will be happy to know that the prenup is void. Your ex was definitely cheating on you." Mrs. Harris smiled.

"He didn't know what he had with me. My mother always told me I could do better. I just didn't believe it until now. Thanks so much, Dr. Foster." Gillian walked her to the door. When the woman was gone, and she was sure there were no more clients, she relaxed. She took off her heels, and walked barefoot down the hallway to her office, carrying her heels in her hand. She was surprised to see Emily, waiting on the couch for Gillian to arrive.

"Long day?" Emily gestured toward the shoes that Gillian was carrying.

Gillian laughed. "You could say that. Honestly, when I know that I have this place to myself, I like to get comfy. In fact, go check out the bottom drawer in my desk."

Emily got up, and walked over to the desk. Gillian watched with amusement while Emily bent down, and reemerged, with a pair of black yoga pants in her hand. The women shared a laugh. "Those pants have gotten me through long, tedious hours of paperwork. Your father hates paperwork, you know? So, I usually end up doing the payroll and reviewing contracts. I don't mind, but sometimes I have to stay late. And when I stay late, I get comfy!"

"Do you have a pair of fuzzy slippers hiding anywhere?"

"Oh! That's a good idea!" They couldn't contain themselves, as they both fell on the couch into a heap of giggles. "Speaking of Dad, did you guys have fun last night?"

"Oh, you sneaky little devil you! I should have known! Yes, we had a great time. We went on a real date. Your father even followed me home so he could pick me up properly for it."

Emily laughed, "He is such a dork."

"And he let me order the Chocolate Molten Lava Cake, and we talked. Like really talked. It was nice. Thank you for setting us up. I really mean that."

"So what does this mean? Are you guys officially a couple? Is my Dad your boyfriend?"

"We are officially taking it slow. Your dad and I haven't really figured out exactly what we want, but we don't want to rush things. The last thing we need to do is leap to quickly into something serious. Right now, our relationship is between, Cal, you, and myself."

Emily nodded, understanding. "Got it. I won't go telling everyone then. But when you two tell your epic story about how you finally got together, don't leave me out of it!"

"I don't think we could if we tried!"

When Cal got to Gillian's office, he saw his two favorite women in the world there. It was great to see them laughing, and talking, forming their unique bond. Gillian was like a second mother to Emily. Emily often went to her with problems that she couldn't talk to anyone else about. And to see them both sitting on Gillian's couch, Emily holding a pair of black pants and Gillian barefoot with a glass of water, made him grin from ear to ear. He knocked on the doorway, and they both looked up.

"Oy, Em. I didn't know you were here."

"Well, You never gave me answers last night, so I decided to bug Gill instead." She stuck her tongue out at him, but scooted over to make room for him on the couch. He sat in the middle, and put his arm around both of them. "Don't you have homework or something to do at home?"

"Actually, I have to meet up with Adam. We have a lab report due, and we need to exchange data."

"Is that what you kids are calling it these days?" Cal suppressed a smirk, and Gillian chuckled.

"Dad! Gross! No, we both did half the experiment, and we're lab partners. I need to get his measurements, and he needs mine."

"I'm not sure that changing the words makes it sound any better."

"Gross, Dad. Grow up. I'll be home in an hour." She kissed him on the top of his head. She then got up, and gave Gillian a hug. She dropped the yoga pants in Gillian's lap. "Goodnight Gill, see you soon!" With that the young girl left.

Gillian turned to Cal. "You just love to make her squirm, don't you?"

He leaned in. "That's my job, as her father." She stilled a little. "Crap, Gillian, I'm sorry. I didn't think." Why did he do that? He didn't mean to rub in the fact that he had a daughter.

"It's okay, Cal, it's not your fault." The chances of her having children were one in a million. "I've accepted the fact that I'm not a mother. I was once. For a whole fifty-seven beautiful days. It is an experience that I will never forget, and that I will cherish forever. But you should never feel bad for having the perfect daughter that you do." She leaned in to kiss him then. Maybe it was to make him feel better or perhaps to make herself feel better. But the kiss was magical. It was the third time she had ever really kissed Cal (fourth, if you count the porn office, which was just as magical) and it hadn't gotten old yet. He put his hand on her face, and bit her bottom lib. She felt the muscles of his back ripple. Soon his hands were on her hips, and she was running her fingers through his hair, both of them trying not to break the contact of their bodies. His body seemed to melt into the contours of hers perfectly, and she never felt safer in her life than she did when she was kissing him.

They made out for a good twenty minutes, before he pulled away. "I hate to leave you, luv, but I want to make sure I am home before Emily."

She was sad, but she understood. He had other obligations. "That's okay. Same time tomorrow?" She had a sly grin on her face.

"Of course." He kissed the top of her head, and left.

She didn't stay much longer. There wasn't a lot of paperwork to finish. She went home, and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

The next day, when Gillian got to her office, she noticed the yoga pants were still on the couch. She folded them up and walked over to her desk. When she opened the bottom drawer, she found something in there she definitely hadn't put there. A pair of grey plaid slippers with microfleece on the insides.

_Gill, I thought you might need these. With all the paperwork that my Dad leaves you with, I'm sure you stay late more often than you let on. Enjoy! Emily_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N **this chapter is rated M. I've only ever written one other thing like it before, so if this is just plain awful, please let me know so that I can delete/fix it. And if its great, let me know so that I can repeat things like it in the future! Thanks for reading and enjoy!

* * *

It had been three week since that dinner, when Emily set them up. Everything was going fine. They had many make out sessions in both of their offices, and gad been out on a few dates. Once, Cal took her on a picnic dinner. On another day, he took her to the college basketball game. Tonight, they were at her house watching a movie.

"I can't believe you've never seen The Illusionist, Cal." She really couldn't. It was one of her favorites. A sweet love story, a few magic tricks, and the perfect length for cuddling.

He popped it in the player. "That's why I have you, luv. You introduce me to new things. Keep it fresh."

"Oh, it's my job to keep it fresh?"

"I'm not sure I'm creative enough, luv. I keep it fresh by swapping out my aprons." Gillian laughed. His aprons, all with floral patterns, had been a Way to tease him. But, if she was being honest, something about a man who was that secure in his masculinity really turned her on.

He started the movie and moved over to the couch. He sat down, and Gillian snuggled in close. It was a whole thirty minutes into the movie that Cal became hyper aware of just how close Gillian's hand was to his crotch area. And it wasn't just sitting there. It was stroking up and down his inner thigh, much like it was during the role-playing at the porn maker's office. Where he and Gillian had their first kiss. He took his hand and started rubbing her back. He didn't want to push her.

Suddenly, she was rubbing over the zipper of his jeans. He looked down at her and she looked back at him. Her pupils were completely dilated, and Cal was sure that if he looked in the mirror, his would be the same. Their lips met, and sparks flew, like they always do. It surprised him that they hadn't died off by now, that had been the case with him in the past. He loved when Gill kissed him because it always felt new.

Gillian bit the bottom of his lip, and he started leaving a trail of kisses along her jaw, until he met that oh so crucial junction between the neck and the shoulder. She moaned in spite of herself, and felt her whole body get tingly. She wanted him now. She jumped up and straddled him, grabbing at his hair. She loved the feeling of his hair between her fingers. It was always so soft, softer than even hers. She reached for the bottom of his shirt, and pulled it over his head, gently. Following suit, Cal undid the buttons on her blouse, and it was easier to remove without breaking the contact of their lips. He stopped for a second to take in this new sight.

She was wearing a red lacy bra. He took in whatever he could as fast as he could, and was floored when she reached behind her and un clasped the bra. It fell to the ground. He slowly took in her beautiful breasts. Then, he dove right in, working his way down from her shoulders. He tried to kiss every freckle. She moaned with pleasure and kept playing with his hair. He turned them ever so slightly, so that she was laying on her back on the couch. He backed away for a second, and pulled off her skirt. The underwear matched the bra. Too bad she wouldn't need them for long. He took them off her too, and marveled at the beauty that was Gillian. She was perfect in every way. He leaned down to her breasts again and slowly started kissing downward. Down across her flat stomach, pausing at her belly button. He moved down slowly again until he was hovering over the spot that she wanted him, as well as the spot he wanted to be. He placed a kiss on the inside right thigh, and the inside left, before actually hitting the spot.

He flicked his tongue on her clit, and she shook with pleasure. He tasted her folds, ever so gently, and flicked her clit with his fingers ever so slightly. Without warning, he slipped his tongue inside of her, and her hips bucked. He brought his tongue and mouth up to circle her swollen clit. He could feel her getting closer and closer, so he stuck a finger inside of her.

"Cal! I need you inside of me. Please stop teasing and just fuck me."

He never thought he would hear that language from Gill. He sat back on the couch, and Gillian pulled down his pants. She gently stroked up and down his shaft before she climbed on top of it. When he entered her, it was like her entire body just exploded. She moved up and down, steadily increasing her pace. She leaned down to Cal and kissed him again. She moved like this for a while, getting faster and louder as she got closer to her orgasm. Cal could tell she was close, and he couldn't hold up much longer. He kissed her deeply and flicked her clit again. This was enough to send her over the edge. She writhed and contracted on top of him, and then he came, exploding inside of her.

They embraced for a while afterward, just enjoying the closeness of each other. Cal brushed her hair out of her face and whispered in her ear. "I love you Gill. And not because of that. That was amazing. But I have loved you for a long time. I'm sorry it took me so long to finally admit it."

She smiled and kissed him hard on the lips. "Cal, I love you too."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N Please review! They make me happy!

* * *

Gillian was sitting at her favorite little sandwich shop. She was dressed comfortably, as it was her day off. She had on a pink sundress that hit right at her knees. She wore flip flops with big pink flowers on the straps, and her hair straightened and down. This was one of Cal's favorite dresses. They had been dating for three months, and he loved seeing her outside of work in her more casual outfits. But today, she wasn't waiting for Cal. Today she was waiting for one of her oldest friends.

A woman sat down across from her. "Gillian Foster, in the flesh!" The woman had on a short sleeved white blouse, and black slacks. She was wearing black, strappy heels that showed off her bright red pedicure. Her blonde hair was long, and fell in loose curls to the middle of her back. She had silver barrettes holding her hair out of her face.

"Erin Morani! It's great to see you again! It has been too long!" It was true; Gillian hadn't seen Erin in at least six months. They had been inseparable in college. "Tell me about life!"

"Well, Logan and I just had our 8th anniversary, and Kiley is turning four in a few months. And work has been driving me nuts! If I have one more person threaten my life, I might just lose it." Erin was a social worker. A lot of times, when she had to remove a child from their home, she received death threats. They were never serious, but they did driver her nuts. "Seriously, do they understand that it is as hard for me to take a child as it is for them to lose theirs? It's not something that I like to do."

"That's understandable. It can't be easy to uproot someone so small." Her heart went out to Sophie in that moment. She would be three now. Gillian knew the little girl would never remember being taken, but Gillian would never forget the gut wrenching feeling in the pit of her stomach when they took her baby girl away.

They ordered their sandwiches, Gillian got a tuna club on pumpernickel bread, and Erin got a ham and cheese on wheat. Gillian also got a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie. "Ugh. I will never get over the fact that you eat that crap all the tame and still always look amazing!" Gillian laughed. Erin obviously didn't know how much running she did to continue to look the way she did. "So tell me more about Kiley!"

"Oh, she is a funny one! Takes after her father. She was taking a shower with me the other day, a normal thing. It was very typical, right up to the point when she turned around, looked at me and said 'you know, you really need to lose some weight.'" Gillian practically spit out her food she was laughing so hard. "I'm starting to think that maybe she is old enough to bathe on her own!"

"Kids say the damnedest things, or so I have heard. My niece Sarah has a few gems of her own! My brother, Nick, was sick one day. I mean, you know how bad I am when I'm sick? Well Nick is ten times worse!"

"Oh, God, your poor mother!"

"Yeah, well, he was complaining all morning to Nancy, my sister in law, and I guess Sarah had just heard enough. She looked him straight in the eye, and without provocation just groaned, 'Dad, grow up' and walked away!" Now they were both laughing.

"Well, I actually wanted you to be the first to know. I'm expecting again!"

"Oh! That's exciting! Congratulations!" Gillian ran around to Erin's side of the table to give her oldest friend a hug. "I'm so happy for you! That's great news!"

"And I also wanted to ask you if you would be the godmother?"

Gillian could have shrieked, she was so excited! "Of course I will! Yes!" The women embraced again, and Gillian went back to her seat.

"So, tell me about Cal! How is it going with you two?"

"Great! He is just amazing, and so honest with me."

"That's good! Can't he tell when you are lying?"

"Sometimes. He calls me his blind spot, and I know that there are some things that I can keep from him. There was that whole incident years ago when someone was threatening his family, that I managed to keep under wraps for years. But I don't want to lie to him. I can tell him anything, without judgment. And he trusts me."

"How's the sex?"

"Wow, that subject changed quickly! It's amazing, and that's all I'm going to say." It was, actually. When they kissed, she still saw sparks fly, and felt tingly all over. And she had to keep Cal at bay all the time. She didn't want to get caught in a compromising position at the office because they still hadn't told anyone yet. Also, it was extremely unprofessional. Also, just because Cal could see she was aroused, didn't mean that they had to do anything right then and there. Cal couldn't jump her every time her pupils dilated a bit. But when they were at her place or his, all hats were off!

"Were people surprised when you told them?" Erin was genuinely interested to see how many people saw this coming from a mile away like she had. Gillian always talked about him, even when she was married to Alec.

"The only people who know are you and his daughter. We didn't want the office gossip."

"Okay, that's not true, and you know it."

Gillian sighed. "Okay, so I wasn't quite sure how it would go. I mean, we only talked because Emily tricked us, and we weren't sure where it was going. I didn't want the office gossip making or breaking my potential relationship, and now, I'm just not sure what they will think."

"You know, you can't hide it forever. It's not healthy to keep it under wraps."

Gillian knew she was right. "I will talk to Cal about making it official, and coming out of hiding."

"Does Cal want kids?"

Gillian felt a pang in her heart. She hated this question. "We haven't discussed that."

"All you have wanted your entire life is to be a mother, and you haven't asked Cal his thoughts on the whole thing?"

"Well, he has his daughter, Emily. She is seventeen, almost all grown up. I don't think it's fair of me to ask him to start again. Besides, I am getting older, and I just don't know if that is in the plan for me anymore."

"You're only 35. Stop talking like your life is over!"

"I'm not trying to! I think I shut the door on kids when Alec and I split up. But I have my nieces, and I will have a beautiful godchild. They give me all the comfort I need."

Erin smiled and grabbed her hand. "Well, feel free to come over anytime. I'm sure that you and Kiley would have so much fun!"

* * *

It was nearing the end of the day when Gillian strolled into Cal's office, barefoot and in his favorite pink sundress. "Hello luv, how was your day with Erin?"

Oh, he got brownie points for listening! "It was great! We did so much catching up, and I'm going to be a godmother!" She was grinning from ear to ear.

"That's great, luv!" She walked over and pecked him on his lips. "I'm guessing, by the fact that you're barefoot, that there aren't any clients roamin' the halls?"

"Nope! And, I checked the lab, and the offices. Loker and Ria aren't there either."

"So we got this place to ourselves." He got up from his desk and led her over to the couch. She straddled him, and they kissed. Like so many times before, she had her hands in his hair, and he placed his hands on her hips. She bit his bottom lip. He slowly started to make his way down to that spot on her shoulder that she loved, when they heard, "Dr. Lightman, I... Oh God! I'm sorry!" They looked up to see a very flustered Ria at the doorway. "I didn't know, I mean, I should have, um, I'm sorry!" She rushed down the hallway.

"This, is why we do nothing more than kiss at work. I'll go talk to her." Gillian followed the younger woman down the hallway. "Ria, please, come talk to me." Ria reluctantly turned around. Gillian gestured at Ria's bare feet, "Taking lessons in comfort from me?" Gillian guessed that was why they didn't hear her coming.

Ria laughed. "Yeah. Emily was running late for school and dropped off some slippers for you with the note, asked me to put them in your desk. I was confused, so she explained quickly about how you walk around here barefoot after hours. I think that's brilliant!"

The women laughed together. "I'm sorry, I thought you were gone. We didn't want you to walk in on us like that. Please know that it wasn't going any further than kissing."

"How long has this been going on?"

"About three months."

"And we never caught on! Man, I think I need to practice a little bit more!"

"Are you surprised?"

Ria laughed. "Hell, no! We actually have a pool going about when you guys would finally hook up! Closest without going over. I lost ages ago, but if I remember things correctly, I think Loker will be extremely happy!"

Gillian laughed, and relaxed. She would have to fill Erin in. Apparently, no one was surprised, and the only person who had been surprised was herself and Cal.

"I just hope you guys are happy." Ria hugged Gillian, and as she walked away, turned around and shouted, "I'm leaving for the night, feel free to resume making out!"

* * *

"Surprise!" Gillian walked into the Lightman Group with a huge smile on her face, as all of her closest friends, family, and coworkers jumped out at her. Her nieces, Sarah and Sadie ran up to her and gave her a hug. Not wanting to be left out, Kiley did the same. "Auntie, tell me, did you know we were here?" Sadie asked.

"I didn't! You guys really surprised me!" They were in the same area where the Christmas party had been held a few years ago. Today, there wasn't a tree, but there were pink decorations, and tables set up. In one corner, there were a bunch of cards, and in another there was a huge chocolate cake. A banner was hanging by the windows. _Happy 35__th__ birthday Gillian!_ The next person to hug her was Emily. "Thank you for coming, Em."

"Of course!"

Gillian looked straight into the young girl's eyes. "Did you plan this, or did your father?"

"I swear, it was all Dad's idea." It was times like these that Gillian wishes she could actually read faces. She turned around when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Oy! You think I can't plan things like this on my own? Have some faith, luv!" He kissed her, and she knew. This was all him, he planned this whole thing for her.

She felt a little hand tugging at her skirt. Kiley looked up at her. "Gill! What do you think?"

Gillian leaned down to pick the sweet girl up. "I think that we should have some of that cake!"


	10. Chapter 10

Cal woke up with Gillian in his arms. It was always a nice feeling. He smiled, as the memories from the night before filled his head. She stirred and snuggled close to him. "What time is it?"

"Seven."

"Ugh. I need to get up." She started to move, but Cal held her tighter, and she laughed. "Seriously, Cal! We both need showers, breakfast, coffee, and I need to get dressed and do my hair and makeup. Let's move!"

She struggled to get free of his grasp as he pulled her in a little tighter. He gently kissed her neck, and finally released her. She headed toward the bathroom. She was wearing one of Cal's t-shirts that barely covered her butt. He smiled, and got up as well, and headed toward the kitchen.

He went over to the coffee pot and started brewing coffee. Next, he got out a frying pan. He cracked two eggs and let them fry. While waiting on the eggs to cook, he toasted some bread, and got the cheese out of the fridge. He was all out of meats, so they would have to live with just egg and cheese sandwiches. He needed to go shopping.

Gillian came downstairs in her bathrobe. She had taken to leaving it at Cal's, that's where they spent most of their time together. She was pleased to see a sandwich that had already been made for her, and a cup of coffee made to perfection. She smiled, as she took a bite of her sandwich. The yolk popped open, and the juices soaked through her bread. Perfect! It had taken Cal some time to get used to her preferences with egg sandwiches. She liked the yolk runny; he liked his cooked all the way through. She usually ended up remaking her sandwiches. "Thank you Cal, it's delicious!"

"Maybe to you!" They laughed, and Cal finished his sandwich. He left his dishes in the sink and ran upstairs to take his own shower. Gillian finished her breakfast and washed all of the dishes. It was funny to her how easy it was for them to do this domesticity stuff. They hadn't even talked about it, but had just picked up doing different duties. Cal usually cooked, Gillian cleaned, Cal did laundry, and Gillian made sure the house didn't look like a train went through it. It was just easy, and she loved it.

When Cal got out of the shower, Gillian had already changed into her outfit of the day. She had a light blue shirt, and white pants. Her hair was curled, and landed right on her shoulders. She was putting on her makeup in the mirror. He hugged her quickly.

"Am I shattering the illusion?"

"The only way to do that would be to tell me you don't exist!"

She kissed him. "I love you, Cal"

* * *

They walked into the Lightman Group together, his arm around her shoulder, and her arm around his waist. Now that everyone knew they were dating, they didn't have to hide it anymore. And it was the most freeing feeling Gillian had ever felt. When they got to Cal's office, they were surprised to see that they weren't alone. Zoe was sitting on the couch. "Well, I was waiting for Cal, but I guess you are both here."

"Hello, Zoe." Cal shivered. When Gillian used that tone of voice, he knew it was bad news.

"So, how long has this been going on?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but about four months. I'd have thought our daughter would've told you everything. It's because of her master plan that Gill and I ended up together."

"Well, just don't pull her into this too much. When this relationship goes down in flames, I don't want her to be pulled in with it."

Gillian spoke up, "What makes you think that this relationship will go down in flames?"

"Oh, Cal has his ways. He can see every little lie, and they all just eat away at him. Plus, there is the added fact that he can see your lies, but you can't see him. It all leads to a very messed up and toxic dynamic."

"Maybe I should let the two of you talk. I'm going to my office." With an uncomfortable look on her face, Gillian left.

"For your information, I can't read her! She is too close to me. It's why Emily can sometimes lie to me too, especially when I'm not trying to read her! I am trying my hardest to make sure this doesn't go down in flames."

"Let's face it, Cal. You and Gillian can't work because you and I have too much history. You always come back to me."

"Not anymore. I think it's best that the Lightman Group cuts any and all ties with your office. Goodbye, Zoe." He walked over to his desk and sat down.

Zoe got up and walked toward him. "You can't get me out of your life that easily, we have a daughter together, Cal."

"You're right, and for her sake, I will be civil with you. But I don't want to see you unless it has something to do with her. No more personal visits. Goodbye, Zoe."

"Whatever, Cal." With that, she turned on her heels and left.

* * *

"Cal! We are going to be late! Hurry!" Gillian yelled toward his bedroom. They were headed for a Fourth of July cookout at her brother's house. She was wearing a red, short sleeved shirt, white pants, and a blue bandana in her hair, as was her family tradition. They completely decked themselves out in red, white, and blue.

"I'm having some trouble, luv." Ugh, sometimes he was so irritating! She went to his room and found him in a red polo shirt, jean shorts, and bare feet. "I don't want to count socks as my white thing, but I don't think I have anything else! Why couldn't you have reminded me?" It was true. Cal wasn't used to the American holiday, and he definitely hadn't heard of Gillian's family tradition.

"Cal, I have an idea. Take off your shirt."

He grinned. "I thought we were going to be late?"

She laughed. "No! Not now, maybe tonight. But just trust me, take off your shirt." She rifled around in his drawers and pulled out a white shirt.

"Gillian! I can't wear just white and blue; I figured red and blue would be good enough!"

"Hold on, I'm not finished!" She searched in the closet; she knew it was in there somewhere. "Yes!" she exclaimed, triumphantly. She came out with a red cap held above her head. A West Ham United cap. "I knew I had seen that in here! But I'll make sure you're better prepared next year!"

They got to Nick's house just in time to get attacked by the two little girls. Sadie and Sarah came flying at Gillian, practically knocking her off of her feet. "Hey, guys! What's up?"

"Daddy's cooking chicken on the grill, come see!" Sadie pulled her aunt toward the backyard. Cal looked down at Sarah. "Shall we go see?" She grinned. He picked her up and went running after Gillian and Sadie. The twins looked adorable, in sundresses that had fireworks on them (red, white, and blue fireworks, of course). Much like their aunt, they each had a different color bandana in their brown hair. Sadie's was blue, and Sarah's was red. Cal shook Nick's hand, and set the girl down.

"How are you doing, Cal?"

"Great, thanks for inviting me!"

"Where is your daughter? It's, Emily, right?"

"Yes, her name is Emily. She likes to spend her Fourth of July with her American parent. I don't usually do much." In fact, Cal usually worked. This was different for him.

"Well, she should come next year. It would be nice to have her!"

Gillian was completely engaged in everything her nieces were telling her. Boy, could they talk, especially Sadie. They usually stayed pretty busy; Nancy would take them to do gymnastics, even when the school year was over, so they always had a story to tell. Cal listened in as Sarah told Gillian yet another story. "We were swimming at the beach, and there was a very mean older boy. He kept yelling 'SHARK' because he liked to laugh when me and Sadie got scared."

"You know how to tell if he is lying? If there really had been a shark, when he yelled 'shark', his voice would get so high, he would have squeaked. Then, he would have run toward the shore screaming. He wouldn't have stayed out in the water with the shark. So if you ever hear a little boy screaming like a girl, then you know it's real!" Cal then yelled "SHARK!" over and over, cracking his voice like a pubescent boy every time. The girls were rolling in the grass, laughing so hard, and Gillian was grinning from ear to ear.

"Girls, it's time to eat!" They ran toward their dad to get food. Cal ran after them. He was starved. When Gillian got up to her brother, she gave him a proper hug. "It's so nice to see you again, Nick. Thanks for the delicious food!"

"You know, you are welcome anytime, Gill. The girls would love it if you would spend more time with them!"

"I really should take you up on that! By the way, where is Mom?"

"Oh. She couldn't make it because she made plans with her boyfriend's family."

Gillian was a little hurt by this. Her mother had missed every major holiday to spend time with her boyfriend's family, including Gillian's surprise party a month and a half ago. "Well, I hope he's good to her." Was all that she said.

Cal was sitting with the girls, and talking to them. So Gillian decided to spend some time with Nancy. She sat down across from her at the table. "How are you doing, Nancy?"

"Okay. The summers are the hardest, the girls tire me out, and I don't get the break that the school day usually brings."

Gillian nodded. "Well, maybe I can help with that. Nick said I should come over more, play with the girls. I think that would be fun, and it would give you guys a break. Or, we could choose two days a month, and that would be date night, and I could watch them! Whatever I can do to make this easier. You know, I love those girls."

"That would be fun! We would owe you big time! Maybe we could repay the favor. Have you and Cal talked about kids at all?"

"We haven't, and I am content with Emily. She has always held a very special place in my heart. Without her, I wouldn't be as happy as I am today!"

"But look at how he is with them!" Gillian looked over. Seeing Cal gush over her nieces made her heart melt. "He would be such a great Dad."

"That's the thing. He already is. Emily is 17, it's not fair for me to ask him to start over. So I will spoil Sadie and Sarah rotten and drive you nuts. But that's it for me, and I am okay with that." And she was. She told the exact same thing to Erin almost two months prior, and nothing had changed. She just wanted people to stop asking her that question.

"Just as long as you're sure. And I will let you take these girls whenever you want."

"Cal, why do you talk funny?" Sarah gazed up at him, and Sadie followed suit, intrigued by the question.

"I don't talk funny, you guys talk funny!" The girls laughed.

"No, for real! You talk funny!"

"It's because I come from another country, across the ocean." They looked at him blankly, so he pulled out his phone, and looked up a map. "See, we are here." He pointed to D.C. "And I grew up way over here." He dragged his finger across the ocean and pointed to England. "Everyone there talks like me, and not like you. So I think you girls talk funny, and you girls think I talk funny!"

"That's weird." Nick came over to pack them into the car. They were headed to the Washington monument, to watch the fireworks. It was crowded, as usual, but amazing. Fireworks were always spectacular to watch. Sarah sat in her dad's lap, and Sadie sat in Cal's. The both fell asleep getting carried back to the car. Nancy offered to take Sadie multiple times, but Cal didn't mind, even if it meant taking longer to get back to their car.

Back in the car, they had a decision to make. "Your place or mine?" Cal asked.

"Yours. It's closer." So they drove off to Cal's house, laughing about the girls and all the crazy stories they told.

"You know what I was thinking? Maybe you, me, and Emily should take a weekend and go to the beach. It would be fun!" He meant it. It would be nice to take a holiday with his two favorite girls.

"That would be fun. Under one condition." Cal looked at her, eyebrows raised, anticipating her condition. "You can't yell 'shark' in the water." They both laughed.

"Shark!" Cal said. His voice cracked, and Gillian laughed, in spite of herself.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N** Here's hoping that this chapter warms you up a little! I don't know about you guys, but we are supposed to get hit with more snow on Monday.

* * *

They were finally at the beach. They never thought that when Cal mentioned it at the Fourth of July cookout, that it would take more than a month to get a weekend off. But there had been a murder case, a serial rapist, and staff members at a new mental health facility to interview. It seemed like they had case after case every week, and it had been draining. But now, it was the middle of August, and they were headed to the beach for an entire weekend.

The hotel that Gillian had found was nice. There were two separate rooms, and a mini kitchen. Emily ran into one of the rooms, and plopped down all of her stuff. "This one is mine!" She started unpacking her things and putting them in the small chest of drawers in the bedroom she had claimed.

"Fine. Ours is better anyway!" Cal said to her, and everyone laughed. He led Gillian toward the other room. It was probably true, theirs was better. It was larger, and was the closest to the bathroom. Gillian followed Emily's example, and unpacked her stuff into the little drawers. Cal didn't, when he traveled, he preferred to live out of his suitcase. Emily bounded into the room a few minutes later. "So, what's first? Swimming at the pool, walk along the beach, shopping? What's the plan?"

"What about a walk along the beach AND shopping?" Gillian's suggestion had the teen jumping for joy.

"Yes! That's brilliant! Let's go what are we waiting for?" She grabbed her father's hand and pulled him toward the door. Gillian erupted in a fit of giggles at the scene in front of her. "Gill, you coming?"

"Yes! I'm right behind you!"

They walked along the side of the beach for hours. Gillian and Emily dragged Cal into store after store of clothing. They put on a number of fashion shows for him. Emily found a few cute tops that she wanted, and Gillian found some sundresses. Cal bought his favorite one for Gill, a long white dress with a large pink hibiscus on the side of it. They got steak and cheese from a little shop on the side of the beach. And toward the end of the touristy area, there was an outdoor amphitheater, where a little known band was playing. Cal was pleasantly surprised. They were quite good! They walked back to their hotel room, Cal and Gillian hand in hand, and Emily talking a mile a minute about plans for tomorrow.

Cal and Gillian slept in the next day for the first time in over a month. They walked into the kitchen to find a note from the teen. _Don't worry, I didn't leave the hotel, I am at the pool. I figured you guys needed your beauty sleep! Meet me down there! –Emily_

"That was really thoughtful of her!" Gillian had appreciated the full night of sleep.

"Oy, look at this!" He called out from the kitchen. Gillian turned to see what he was pointing at. A full pot of coffee. "She really is thoughtful, isn't she?" He sounded surprised at this statement. Gillian poured two bowls of cereal for both of them. Cal made them each a cup of coffee. They ate as fast as they could, so they could start the new day.

"Cal! Can you help me put sunscreen on my back?" Cal had been in the bathroom, when he heard Gillian calling from the other room. He went to the room she was in, and his jaw hit the floor. I mean, he had seen her naked, but this blue string bikini she was wearing made her look downright sexy! He squirted some sunscreen in his hands, rubbed them together, and started to sensually rub sunscreen over Gillian's back. He started to slip his hands under the bottom of her bikini, but she stopped him. "We can't right now! Emily has been waiting long enough." It was true, he didn't know what time she had left, but it wasn't fair to keep her waiting any longer.

"Can I get a rain check then?"

"Yes, for tonight! But not right now. Have you put sunscreen on yourself yet?"

"No. I need help."

She squirted sunscreen in her hands, and rubbed it all over his back. His shoulders were so tense, so she massaged them. They couldn't do this now! She stopped, and grabbed her towel and her sunglasses. "Coming?"

Cal looked a little disappointed, but he got it. Emily was waiting.

Emily was lounging poolside with a book when they arrived. She waved them over. Cal put down their stuff and leaned down to give his daughter a hug. "Thanks for letting us sleep in. And thanks for the coffee. I really appreciate it."

"Of course, any time! You guys deserve it!"

"How long have you been down here?"

"About two hours. I am kind of bored with the pool; can we go to the beach instead?"

"Yeah, let's go." With that they were up and walking across the street, towards the ocean. Gillian found a nice place to set up, and laid out the towels.

"Race you in the water!" Emily pushed her father out of the way and ran towards the ocean. Cal recuperated quickly and caught up with her at the water's edge. He then scooped her up, carried her bridal style, waist deep into the water, and tossed her in. Gillian watched all of this and just laughed, it amazed her how Emily could act all grown up one minute, and a kid the next. And Cal, her ever-present father, knew just how to respond.

Gillian joined them in the water. They all acted like children, splashing each other, and dunking each other under the water. Gillian had also been lifted by Cal, and thrown, and she in turn swam under the water and grabbed his feet, knocking them under. When he popped up, she looked him straight in the eye, and said, "Shark!" allowing her voice to crack. This had Cal laughing hysterically.

"How come you get to say it, but I don't?" he pouted dramatically, pausing from his laughter to stick out his lower lip.

"Because, you'll terrorize everyone!"

"Fine." He jumped at her, grabbed her in a tight embrace, and yelled "Giant squid!" before dragging them both under the water.

They all took some time to stop attacking each other and just float out in the waves. It was extremely relaxing, and just what they needed after a long month.

"Hey, Gill. I was thinking. These last six months have been incredible. And I really want it to continue. Maybe, we could move in together?" He blushed. It sounded better in his head. He was going to have to do some thinking before he asked her any more pressing questions.

"I think that's a great idea!" She kissed him hard on the lips.

"So I thought we could look at listings later this week, and go hunting…"  
Gillian cut him off, "Or I could just move into your place. I really only need my clothing, and a few pictures, all the furniture could stay. I could sell the house furnished. It all reminds me of my life with Alec; I don't care about that anymore. I want a life with you. Plus, it's Emily's senior year coming up, you can't uproot her!" She was so excited, she was talking a mile a minute.

"Well, when you put it like that, I guess it makes more sense."

"Have you asked Emily? I don't want to overstep anything."

"Hey, Em, can Gill move in with us?" He yelled over into the general direction of his daughter.

Gillian smacked him on the chest, hard. "Not like that!"

Emily swam over. "I figured she was already living with us anyway, she's over enough. Hey, can we go back and see who is playing at that concert place again tonight?" She was completely unfazed.

"Sure." Gillian watched this moment in awe. She had never seen any two people act this carefree about such a big thing. It was strange but sweet all at the same time.

Gillian got out of the water and went to her towel, sunbathing while reading a book. She was really getting into it when Cal and Emily came back over to her. "We should head back and change if we want to make it in time to see the live music." Gillian nodded in agreement, and they left.

The band that night was just as great as the band before. They danced for hours and had a great time, and Cal barely let Gillian out of his sight. They walked back to the hotel room on the beach, and not near the shops they had already seen yesterday. Cal and Gillian walked hand in hand, while Emily walked ahead of them, collecting seashells. Cal grabbed Gillian's hand. "My name is Cal Lightman. I am 41 years old and enjoy long walks on the beach." Gillian started laughing. "And I love you, Gill, with all my heart." They stopped and kissed. The next thing they knew, there was a phone in their faces, snapping a picture.

"Oh! Look at that! It's so cute!" Emily showed them the picture she took, excited by her photography skills. It was cute, Gillian and Cal looked so natural and tender, and the sun was setting in the background.

"We need one of you and your Dad. Here, I'll take it, just pose!"

Cal whispered in his daughter's ears and she grinned. The next thing Gillian knew, he was down on his knees, and Emily was hopping up on his shoulders. Cal stood up, and Emily stuck her arms out as wide as she could, with the biggest grin on her face. Cal just smiled, but his eyes were full of joy. Gillian laughed, it was the perfect picture. It captured their relationship perfectly.

A man stopped while Gillian was taking their picture. "You should get in there too! It would be a sweet family picture!"

"No, it's fine, really." Gillian said.

"Gill! Get your butt over here!" Emily yelled at her. Her father had put her down on the ground.

"Yeah, luv, come on over." Gillian gave the phone to the man, and headed over. Cal and Emily sandwiched her between them.

"Say 'cheese'!" He took the picture, and gave them the phone back.

"Thank you!" Gillian waved at the man as he walked off. They headed back toward the hotel room again, and picked out a movie to watch when they got there. But by the time they got back, they were just too exhausted to do much of anything, so they all went to bed.

The next day, Emily woke them. "Guys, we should go to the beach again for just a few hours before we have to drive back. And if you are sleeping all day, that won't happen, so let's go!" She yanked the covers off of them and left the room. Cal and Gillian laughed.

"Is it always like that with kids? Do they ever let you sleep in?"

"Once in a while! Like yesterday, yesterday was an anomaly. Usually, it's like this." He got up, and grabbed his other swimsuit from his bag. Gillian changed into another bikini, this one red. They lathered each other up with sunscreen, and met the young girl outside of their room.

When they got to the beach, they all raced to the water. There was plenty of pushing and shoving. Emily and Gillian tag teamed Cal, both of them sneaking up to him and dunking him in the water. And so it began, the most epic of water fights. It went on for hours, and there was not a winner declared. But they had to go. They reluctantly picked up all of their gear, and headed back to the hotel. There they packed their belongings and checked out. The drive back to D.C. was not nearly as fun as the drive there.

Gillian's phone chimed. She squealed with delight at the message that was there.

"So, are you going to tell us or leave us hanging?" A curious Emily piped up from the back seat.

"Erin had her baby. A boy, named Felix. I just got the first picture of my soon to be godson!" She passed the phone back to Emily.

"Oh, he's a cutie!" She gave the phone back.

"We can stop at the hospital along the way, you can shower him with goodies."

"That's okay, I don't have goodies for him yet."

"Well, there's no time like the present!" He pulled off the highway, and quickly found a little shopping plaza. Gillian went into the Babies r Us, and bought two outfits, and a little stuffed dinosaur. The outfits were essential. He was a baby surprise, so they had a lot of yellow and green outfits. Gillian bought him one with dinosaurs that matched his new toys, and one with a monkey on it that read 'mommy's little man', both blue. She went back to the car, and they headed for the hospital.

When she found Erin's room, she knocked quietly.

"Come in" called the voice inside. Gillian opened the door, and saw a huge smile across her friend's face. Gillian gave her a hug.

"Cal insisted we stop on our way home to see you, he even stopped so we could pick some things up." She held up the bag of goodies.

"Well, where is Cal?"

"Out in the car, with his daughter, waiting."

"Don't leave them out there! Tell them they can come up!" Gillian sent out a quick text, and turned her attention to the bassinette. "He is sleeping, so I don't want to pick him up. But you can look at him." Gillian walked over quietly while Erin opened the bag. Gillian saw the most beautiful little face she ever thought she would see. She brushed a finger softly against his cheek, and he turned his head toward her.

"I love the outfits, thank you!" Cal and Gillian had come in quietly. "How are you guys doing? I haven't seen you since the surprise party!"

"We're good." Emily answered. They stayed for about an hour and talked about the beach, and Erin listened wholeheartedly.

Cal stood up suddenly. "I think we should let you get some rest. Congrats on your new baby. He is beautiful." Gillian and Emily both hugged Erin goodbye and they all left.

"I didn't want to cut your visit short, but I could see how tired she was. I didn't want us taking a toll on her."

"Thank you for watching out for her." Gillian kissed him. "Come on, let's go home."


	12. Chapter 12

There was a bug going around. Emily had caught it first, she thought from Adam and Brad, and brought it to the house. She was down for the count for two days, vomiting with a fever. Next, Cal caught it, and he was also out of commission for two days. They stayed out on the couch, covered in a blanket, and within easy walking distance to the kitchen so they could make soup, or grab more crackers. Lastly, Gillian caught it. And they were just getting started.

Cal went into their bedroom to find Gillian curled up with as many blankets on her as humanly possible. She was facing away from the door. He came over with some crackers and ginger ale. "Hey, luv, I brought you something."

She turned around, and cringed. "Cal, I'm sick. I can't eat that. I can't eat anything."

"It's not healthy not to eat anything, luv. Just try." The truth was, Gillian hated being sick. When she had a cold, she pumped herself full of any medicine she could find, almost to the point of delirium. When she had a fever, she usually stayed in a nice bath all day, to keep herself feeling warm. And when she was throwing up, she didn't eat anything at all, no matter how much it was supposed to help. "Luv, if you don't eat anything it will just take you longer to heal. You need to keep the rest of you healthy so you can fight this off." He stroked her head, she was burning up. "And you should take a cool bath; try to get this fever down.

"I will take a warm bath later."

"Not warm, cool. We want your fever to come down."

"No! I don't want to still be shivering. I just want to feel normal." It didn't matter that his logic was sound; she didn't want to feel sick. And if she was shivering, she would feel sick.

"Luv, you're sick, you're not going to feel normal." Cal felt like he was fighting with a toddler. "I have to go to work. One of us has to hold down the fort, and you need your rest." He kissed the top of her head. "I love you." He got up and left.

Gillian stayed under her covers. She was so warm, it was a little uncomfortable, but as soon as she took off all her covers, she started shivering. She would rather be unusually warm than be cold. She reached out for a second to grab her book. She stayed under the covers for two hours like that, just reading. She finally fell asleep, and napped.

When she woke up, she really wanted a warm bath, but her muscles were just too sore. The thought of moving anywhere made her cringe. She reached for the remote, and turned on the TV instead. It was the usual daytime TV, talk show upon talk show, paternity tests and cheating boyfriends. She found a Law and Order marathon, and stopped there. This, at least, had the potential to be interesting.

When Cal came home, there were no dirty dishes in the sink. Gillian was still curled up in a ball on their bed, and she hadn't eaten the crackers, although he could see that the ginger ale was mostly gone. Good, she was staying hydrated. He joined her on the bed. "This episode is a good one. Robin Williams plays an excellent bad guy."

"Yeah, I like it so far. I like the psychology aspect, detective Milgram, the Milgram experiment. It's interesting."

"That girl in the beginning, from the burger place, who was assaulted because of that phone call, doesn't she look a lot like Ria?"

Gillian grinned. "Yes! She looked exactly like Ria! I did a double take!"

"Maybe she has a twin that she never told us about!" They laughed, and it was the most normal she had felt all day. Cal allowed her to finish the episode before he tried to move her. "Alright, luv, we need to move you downstairs."

"Why. I can't move, I'm too sore." She pouted.

"Well, I was sick for a few days, and now you have been sick. If you're not going to do anything to make yourself feel better, then I have to. I am washing the bedding." He was already taking the pillows from his side of the bed and taking off the pillow cases. "I don't want to get sick again, and I want you to get better quicker. Besides, the nice, clean sheets will feel nice."

"Cal, I'm fine. I don't want to move, it hurts too much."

Cal went over to the side of her bed. He leaned down and scooped her up off of the bed, and carried her bridal style down to the couch. He set her up with some more ginger ale and the TV back on Law and Order: SVU. He brought all the bedding downstairs and washed it. It was a chocolate brown color, and thick. It was one of the things that he and Gillian had picked out together when she moved in. She wanted a house that didn't remind her of Alec, and he wanted a place that made him think of Gillian. So they had bought some new furniture, a different bedspread, and hung some different pictures. The result was a home that they both felt comfortable in.

Cal grabbed his laptop and went up to join Gillian on the couch. He was typing away, very focused on his work. "What are you doing, Cal?"

"Finally writing that book. It was hard at first, but lately, I feel like I have all sorts of ideas."

"What did you decide to write about?"

"You." She looked surprised, and flattered. "Well, not just you, but how hard it is for me to read the people closest to me. So you, Emily, my brother, people like that. Some of the limitations to my perceived superpower."

"You don't talk about your brother much."

"Well, he's still in England, and we just don't have the relationship we used to."

"Does he know about me?"

"Yes. He's known about you and my true feelings for you long before we were dating. It was a great conversation topic for us. We email each other once a month, but that's about it. I sent him the pictures from our beach trip. I'm trying to convince him to make a Facebook, but he doesn't seem to be interested. He's sort of technologically impaired." Gillian laughed.

"Well, I would love to meet him someday."

"Well, maybe you will!" Cal got up to move the bedding into the dryer. He wrote some more, and then made their bed. Gillian was starting to fall asleep on the couch, so he carried her upstairs again and laid her down in the nice, clean sheets.

"You were right, this does feel nice. I love you, Cal." She rolled over and fell asleep almost instantly. Cal went back downstairs, and continued writing for a few more hours. He sent the completed chapters to the publisher, and went to bed.

While Emily and Cal were out of commission for two days each, Gillian was out for four. Cal told her it was because of her refusal to do anything to stay healthy, and she argued she was already unhealthy by being sick, why bother to try anything different. He was so happy when she said she would come back to work for two reasons. First, that meant a much happier and less whiney Gillian. Second, it meant that he might be home at a decent time tonight. Whenever one of them was out of work, then the other one had a ton of extra work to do, and it had really been taking a toll on Cal.

Gillian was glad to be back. She had missed the office. Ria came up and hugged her pretty quickly. "So glad to see you back, Lightman's been going nuts."

Gillian laughed. "I'm sure, here and at home."

"Yeah, I heard you are really whiney when you get sick."

Gillian feigned being hurt. "Did he tell you that?"

"Yeah, he told us that you whined and pouted a ton and refused to eat."

"Yeah, it's all true. I have always been terrible when I was sick, ever since I was little. It's good though, I don't get that sick too often."

"Well, it's nice to have you back." Ria left, and Gillian just smiled. Gillian was glad that she had practically forced Cal to hire her, she was a hard worker and she genuinely cared. And she did her job well, which was always a bonus.

* * *

Emily knocked on their door, quietly. "Dad!" She whispered, "I am about to take off."

"Okay, luv, have fun." Came Cal's groggy response.

"No, Dad, I can't go yet. It's the last first day of school."

"Aw, Em, You've been saying it for years. Aren't you a little old for the first day of school picture?"

Emily was confused, who was this man and what had he done with her father? He never let her leave on the first day without a picture, and they always looked funny. "Dad, it's the last one. We can't just quit now! What would people think?"

Gillian was practically pushing him out of bed. "You brag about these pictures every year Cal, go take your daughter's last first day of school picture."

"Alright, alright, I'm up." He thought it was funny when the two most important people in his life ganged up on him like this. He walked downstairs with Emily, and had her pose by the front door. "Say 'cheese'!" She gave him an annoyed look, a throwback to the middle school years, when she thought this was overkill. She took another one, where she smiled for real. Then she was gone. His little girl, off to her first day of her senior year. He walked into the other room, looking for a specific photo. He grabbed it off the shelf where it was sitting, framed, and stared at it for a long time.

He went back up to bed, and Gillian was sitting up in it, about ready to begin their morning routine. Cal sat down on the bed, looking completely shocked. He still had the picture frame in his hand. "Cal, are you okay?"

He held the frame out to Gillian, and she grabbed it and looked. There was a tiny brown-haired little girl with a pink backpack and a blue denim jumper. Her hair was in two braids, and her smile was huge. "That was her very first first day of school picture. Look at this." He held out his phone. There she was in her school uniform, her hair back in a half-ponytail, but still curly, makeup, and a black backpack. "My little girl is all grown up. Next year, she will be off somewhere, at a college, starting her first day without me."

Gillian was at a loss for words. "How about this, we enjoy her last year here with her, together. And you just watch her grow. So when she starts next year, you can be absolutely sure that she is ready, because you raised her to be great."

Cal smiled. "You think she will be great?"

"I know she will be great! I mean, you guys have a great relationship, so if she has any issues, she is not afraid to come to you. She has two very smart and capable parents, and many people who love and care about her so much. She has a great support system; she will do great things no matter where she goes."

Cal's heart had swollen so much he felt like it was going to pop out of his chest. The relationship between his girlfriend and his daughter was great, that was for sure. But this was the first time Cal really saw how much Gillian loved her. She loved Emily so much, that she could say, without hesitation, that she was destined for greatness. And she knew it, in every fiber of her being. Cal didn't need to read her to see that she was being truthful. Also, when she talked about enjoying Emily's last year, she put herself into the equation, effectively placing herself in the family for the first time ever. He had always considered Gill a member of the family, but he knew she hesitated to mess up the dynamic that Cal already had with Emily. He kissed his Gillian hard. "Alright, luv. Let's do it then. We will enjoy her senior year together." She kissed him back, and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

* * *

A/N The Law and Order: SVU episode I am referring to is season 9 episode 17, Authority. It is one of my all time favorite episodes (I am a psych major) and it wasn't until after that I realized that Monica Raymund was in it. So I decided to make a joke about it!please enjoy, and review! I'm glad to see so many people reading it, especially since the show has been done for a while now! #Lietomelives2014


	13. Chapter 13

Emily loved throwing a party. His one had been harder for her to convince her dad to throw, though. But, where else would a teenager find a large venue where she and her friends could have fun on Halloween with parental guidance? He couldn't argue with her logic. So, Emily had set up a Halloween party at the Lightman Group headquarters. There was bobbing for apples, and a haunted house out in the halls.

Cal walked into the room feeling kind of silly. When he failed to come up with his own costume idea, Emily came home with a Sherlock Holmes costume. He had a top hat and a long coat, and he held a magnifying glass and a pipe in each hand. Gillian had come up with her plan a while ago, a WNBA player. Cal thought she looked hilarious, but he knew that was her, and she loved it. He was actually jealous. She looked so comfortable and he felt out of place. Emily was dragging a guy over to her father. He and Emily were both dressed up like pirates. The little boy that the younger man was carrying was dressed in green feathers, like a parrot. It was really cute.

"Dad, I want you to meet Adam." Adam held his hand out to shake Cal's hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Sir; Emily has told me so much about you."

"Nice to meet you too. I guess I can forgive you for lying to me over the phone. I have a wonderful girlfriend, and you two to thank for that, I guess."

"Yeah, Emily called me and told me her plan. Smart thinking on her part."

"I guess I'm just wondering. You guys have been official for what, six months? Why am I just meeting you now?

"Honestly, I was nervous. From what she told me, the idea of meeting you was Very intimidating. She's been trying to make this happen for a while now." Cal could see he was telling the truth. It was very admirable of the young man.

"And who's this little parrot?"

"This is my son, Brad. His Mom will be picking him up in a few hours, we are splitting his time for the holidays between us while he's young, and we haven't decided a plan for when he is older. I just want you to know Sir; my intentions with your daughter are honorable. I already made a mistake once, and although I love my son with all my heart, I don't plan on having another. It's hard work!" Once again honest, and Cal really liked being called Sir, He really liked this guy.

"You don't have to tell me. Try being the father to a girl. I know how boys are, how they think, and I don't like them anywhere near my daughter." Adam stiffened a bit at his words, "But everything you have told me is truthful, so I guess you're okay. Please, enjoy the party."

Adam smiled. "I will thank you." He and Emily walked toward the haunted hallway. Gillian made her way over to Cal.

"I've got some bad news. Somebody spiked the punch."

"How can you tell?"

"Well, I can taste the alcohol. Also, have you seen Ria? She's had a few." Cal looked over to watch Ria. She was tripping over herself while trying to dance, and she was really loud, louder than usual.

"Great. I'll make a new, teen friendly batch, and man the punch table to make sure that no teens drink the adult punch."

Gillian kissed him quickly. "Okay. I'll monitor it for now until you come back with the teen friendly batch". Cal left the room, and Gillian stood over by the table, so that she could see who was coming.

Ria stumbled up to her. "Dr. Foster, I think someone spiked that punch."

Gillian laughed. "Yes, I know, we are taking care of it."

"Good, because did you know there is a baby here? We don't want a drunken baby on our hands, that's for sure!" Gillian couldn't contain her laughter.

"You know, you can call me Gill. You don't have to always call me Dr. Foster."

"I don't know, you're my boss. It seems weird."

"Well, we aren't working right now, so I'm not your boss."

"I guess that makes sense." She seemed a little apprehensive.

Gillian changed the subject. "Who's that guy you came with? Do I get an introduction?"

"Oh! Yeah, Alex, come here!" She called out to him and he came over. "This is my boyfriend, Alex Duncan. Alex, this is my boss, Dr. Foster. I mean, Gill."

Alex held out his hand to Gillian. "It's nice to finally meet you! Ria talks about you a lot, she really admires you and Dr. Lightman."

Gillian beamed. "Well, she is pretty incredible herself. How did you guys meet?"

Ria took over. "I met him at this bar after that case with the missing baby that the brother took. They were playing Spanish music, and he was trying to dance, but couldn't and I had a few in me, and decided to teach him."

"It was a lot of fun, so I gave her my number, and we started meeting there. And then outside of there. It's been really nice so far!"

Gillian had an idea. "Maybe Cal and I could meet you at that bar some night. I would love to go dancing, and Cal is smoother on his feet than you would think!"

"That would be fun, I would love to see Lightman dance! I'm not sure if I believe you about him being smooth." The group laughed. Cal came back with another bowl of punch and labeled them.

"Dr. Lightman, We are all going dancing on Friday night. Care to join?" Gillian grabbed his hand, a silent gesture to let him know that she was going and had already said yes.

"Sure, I guess. Sounds fun." Ria and Alex left the table and went back to dancing. The Time Warp was playing, and it was funny to see Ria try to dance it drunk.

The party wore down around 11. The teenagers all started leaving to be home for curfew, and the adults were exhausted from a long week at work. Emily gave her Dad a huge hug. "Thanks for letting me do this."

"Anytime, luv." Cal kissed the top of her head. He watched her leave with Adam, who was driving her home to her mother's.

Cal and Gill cleaned up most of the mess. They took down decorations, got rid of the punch, and most of the food. "Why don't we give it a rest for tonight, and finish cleaning tomorrow. I'm knackered." He grabbed her hand, and they left.

* * *

On Friday night, they met Ria and Alex at the bar. Gillian gave Ria a hug, and told her "I know you felt weird before, but here, you seriously need to call me Gill, and not Dr. Foster."

Ria laughed. "Deal." She looked over at Cal. "But I'm going to stick with Lightman for you."

"Good idea." He found them being there a little strange, and he sure as hell didn't want Ria calling him Cal. That could seriously mess with their dynamic. "And I'll stick with Torres."

"Fair enough. I'll buy the first round."

When the drinks got to the table, she downed hers quickly. "Long day?" Gillian asked.

"It's Eva. She just drives me nuts! She's doing much better, she's living in a group home now, she's trying to find a job. Well, today, she calls me, and says 'You're rich, right?' and proceeded to ask me if I would by her a several hundred dollar computer. When I asked her what for, she said she wanted to be a freelance journalist. Which is great, and I will support her and all, but she can do writing on computers at the library. I would rather her earn the computer, and I told her that. She flipped, and I hung up on her. Now, I don't know if she is still coming for dinner tomorrow night." She took a swig of her second drink. "Siblings, right?"

"It gets better when they're older. Nick used to be awful. Now we are best friends. I watch his kids once a month and we talk every other day. Sure, we still fight, but it's better."

"It's nice with distance." Cal stated. "My brother and I communicate through email. I can say my whole part, he can say his. No interruptions and very few arguments. It's nice."

"I didn't know you had a brother. Older or younger?" Ria was curious.

"Younger by three years. His name is George, he has two little boys, and he works for the British government."

"Cool. You guys are lucky, I don't have any siblings." Alex spoke up.

"I don't know if that makes us lucky. My brother drove me nuts when I was younger. He was awful to me and I know I was awful to him. I used to wish I was an only child all the time."

"But you had someone to lean on. Through all the hard times, or to celebrate with. I never did, it was just me." They all thought. Ria definitely protected her sister, and she knew that Eva appreciated that. They were closely bonded because of the abuse they had each suffered, and helped each other through that. Cal wouldn't have been able to get over his mother's suicide without support from his brother. And Nick and Gillian helped each other when their parents divorced because their dad was having an affair. Eva had been there when Ria graduated high school, George came all the way from England when Emily was born, and Nick had thrown Gillian a huge party when she got her PhD.

"I guess you're right. I'm glad I had someone to be there for me like that." Gillian was the first to speak up. They drank their next round of drinks, and headed out to the dance floor. Ria's lessons with Alex had paid off, they tore up the dance floor. And Ria was surprised to see Cal, who was a much better dancer than she imagined, keeping up! They danced for a while, until a slow song came on. Cal reached out, and pulled Gillian into a warm embrace. Their body's close, they swayed to the music. It was as if there was no other person on the dance floor.

When the music picked up, Ria was staring at them. "You guys really love each other."

"What did you expect?" Gillian asked.

"Well, I could always read the raw, sexual tension between you guys, but this is more than that."

Cal laughed. "Well, there's plenty of that too."

Ria looked away fast. "That's more than I needed to know!"

They enjoyed the rest of the night together, and said goodbye, promising to make this a weekly thing. In the car, Gillian laughed at Cal. "You had fun! Don't deny it! You had so much fun, and you thought it would be weird!"

"Well, I mean, she is our subordinate. Hell, only you called her 'Ria', and her calling you 'Gill' was strange."

"But if we do it more, it won't be strange. It's good for us to go out with other couples, and you enjoyed yourself."

"Yeah, I did." Cal conceded. And honestly, he was looking forward to the next time.

* * *

**A/N** I need help with a pet name for Cal. We know that Cal calls Gillian "luv" But Gillian doesn't have anything to call him. I don't see her calling him baby, and I'm just not sure I'm feeling honey... any suggestions? Also, My computer has been acting up, so I may get these updates out later. This should have been done this morning...


	14. Chapter 14

Cal squeezed Gillian's hand. "Are you alright, luv?"

She looked at leaned over and hugged him. "Just a little nervous, that's all." She pulled away, and started playing with her hair. She was wearing an orange dress, and interesting color choice, but she pulled it off. It was short sleeved and form fitting, with a deep V-neck. Her hair was down and curled.

"Well, we can sit out here until you're not anymore. Emily will make Zoe hold the meal for us."

Gillian knew he was serious, but also knew she would have to face Zoe eventually. "Cal, we are sitting in our car outside of their house, we have to go in eventually." She grabbed his hand, and he squeezed it reassuringly.

"Let them wait." He replied, with a devilish grin.

Emily sat in her mother's house, looking at the window, and waiting impatiently. Her Dad and Gill had been parked outside for a whole five minutes. What were they doing out there? Actually, she didn't want to know what they were doing out there. She heard the timer go off, and saw her Mom remove the turkey from the oven. It smelled so good! Thanksgiving was one of her all-time favorite holidays because of the food. It was also an awkward holiday because she had to spend it with both her parents together, and that didn't always go so well. She hoped this year would be better because her Dad had Gillian and her Mom had Tony. Maybe they would stay off each other's cases.

She finally saw the doors open on her Dad's car. Cal got out, and opened the passenger side door for Gillian, who was holding a cake. It looked chocolate! Emily opened the door. "Hi guys! Come on in!" She waited for them at the door. "Dad, can I take your coat?"

"Sure, here." He handed her his suit jacket and walked with Gillian into the kitchen. Zoe took the cake from Gillian's hand, placed it on the designated desert table, and gave them both an awkward hug.

"How was the drive over?"

"It was fine, there was no traffic." Gillian tried her best to make small talk.

"That's good! Your brother doesn't mind you skipping this year?"

Gillian was a little hurt. She knew that Zoe wasn't a fan, and most likely didn't want Gillian there, but she was a part of Emily's life, and didn't want to just skip out on her. "Actually, this year, they are meeting with Nancy's family, so I was off the hook." She didn't mention that she and Alec had an open invitation to join Nancy's family each year, and that this year it was extended to Cal.

"Do I hear other voices down there?" An unfamiliar male voice called from upstairs.

"Yes, Cal and Gillian are here." Zoe replied.

"Finally! I thought they'd never make it." He came lumbering into the kitchen. He was a very tall man, at least six feet tall, and he was built thick and broad, like a concrete wall. He had curly brown hair and striking green eyes. He stuck a hand out to Cal in greeting. "The names Tony. How are you doing?"

"Alright, I guess."

Tony held out a hand to Gillian, and she shook it apprehensively. "It's nice to meet you, Tony. I'm Gillian."

"Alright if I call you Gill?"

That was hard. That was a name usually reserved for people who she was close to, only a few got to use it, such as Cal, Nick and his family, her parents, Emily, and more recently, Ria, who had become quite used to calling her that. But how often was she going to be seeing Tony? She figured she could get over it for just one night, for the sake of making everyone else comfortable. "Sure, I don't see why not."

Cal looked at her, shocked, and Gillian flashed him a look that said they would talk later. Everyone gathered at the table to eat. It was nice, with food stuffed in their mouths, they didn't need an excuse to talk. Everything was delicious, the stuffing especially. When most of the food had been devoured, Zoe and Emily started to clear the main courses to make room for desert. Gillian got up to help. "No, Gillian, please sit down, you are a guest." Zoe dismissed her.

"Thank you, but I was taught that as a guest, I should help out the host however I can. Use me and abuse me!"

Emily laughed, "Watch out, Mom takes things literally!" Now both of them were laughing, and Zoe looked annoyed.

"How about, you and Emily clear the table, and I will bring out the deserts?"  
Emily spoke up first, before her mother could protest. "Works for me!" She immediately went back to the dining room and started clearing as many dishes as she could carry. Gillian grabbed two of the five deserts and brought them out to the table. They all passed each other in a flurry of motion, and before they knew it, there were five deserts on the table and clean plates for everyone.

Gillian waited with bated breath for the permission to dig in. After all, desert was her favorite course at thanksgiving! "So, let's just briefly go over what everything is. We have an apple pie, pecan pie, strawberry cheesecake, pumpkin pie, and, I'm sorry Gillian, what is this?" Zoe was curious. It was a round cake with chocolate frosting and she could see the white chocolate shavings on top.

"It's a triple chocolate cake with a hint of raspberry." Gillian answered, and Zoe looked intrigued.

Emily got excited. "Oh! Is it that cake you make for your brother every year that he loves?" Gillian nodded. "I've been waiting to try that cake! He won't shut up about it!"

Gillian laughed. "It's my absolute favorite recipe!" Emily immediately cut into the chocolate cake. Gillian took that as her cue, and dove into the apple pie. She took a slice of everything except for the pumpkin pie, and put them on her plate. Everyone else had done a similar thing, Cal avoiding the pecan pie like the plague, and Tony avoiding the chocolate cake.

"No offence, Gill, I'm just not a chocolate fan."

"It's true," Emily piped up, "He doesn't even like brownies!"

"Oh! How do you survive in a world without chocolate?" Gillian teased. The entire table laughed.

Emily moaned while trying her first bite of the cake. "Gill, this is delicious. I see why Nick won't shut up about it!"

Zoe also moaned while eating the chocolate cake. "This really is delicious! Any chance I could get the recipe?"

Gillian grinned, glad her cake was a hit. "Of course! I will give it to Emily to give to you. I don't have it with me today. The pies are delicious by the way. Thank you!"

"Oh, I can't take credit for those, those are store bought. I did make the cheesecake though."

"It's just as good as I remembered it." Cal said. The desert talk really lightened the mood, and they all conversed freely and at ease. Emily felt like it was the best Thanksgiving yet. She was almost upset when it ended. Gillian left with her empty cake pan while Zoe and Cal sorted out Christmas arrangements.

"Gill's family does a big party on Christmas eve, and I know they would love it if Emily could come. I would have her back to you by ten the next morning, so you can go to your mother's. If that is okay."

Zoe conceded. "It's not like I have any plans Christmas eve anyway, so yeah, that works out perfectly. See you then. Drive safe." She hugged him awkwardly.

Cal turned to Emily. "See you soon, luv." They hugged, and he kissed the top of her head.

He joined Gillian in the car. "Quick question, luv. Why did you let him call you Gill?"

"I figured it was just one night, and I probably wouldn't see him again. Even if I do, it will be very limited interaction. And it made him and Emily more comfortable. For a while, that looked like it would be a tense situation all around."

"Yeah, sorry about that passive aggressive comment, luv. I know she just doesn't think." He was referring to the beginning of the visit, when Zoe implied Gillian should be with her own family, and not Zoe's

He wanted to lighten the mood. He started to tease her, much like she had teased him after that first double date with Ria and Alex. "You enjoyed yourself. You thought it would be awkward, but you had a good time."

"She laughed, recognizing her own words. "Yes, I did. Have I mentioned that you have a strange family dynamic?"

"A few times, yeah. Have I mentioned that I love you?"

"A few times, yeah." Gillian echoed.


	15. Chapter 15

When they opened the door to Nick's house, they were bombarded with little girls. They were each trying to talk over one another. Emily could make out her name, Gillian, Grandma, Nana, tree, cake, and Santa. She laughed as she was dragged away by Sarah and Sadie toward the kitchen to look at all the cake.

Gillian hung hers and Cal's jackets in the closet. She was wearing a black velvet long-sleeved dress with a V-neck and a thin satin ribbon sash. She held his hand and walked with him toward the living room, where most of the guests were seated. She smiled and introduced Cal to all of Nancy's family members. Other than Sadie and Sarah, there were about three other kids there under the age of 8, as well as Nancy's parents and two siblings, Allison and Charlie. Cal waved politely. "It's really nice to meet you all. My daughter, Emily is around here somewhere. The girls dragged her away."

Allison laughed, "Seems about right."

Gillian was startled by a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see her mother, whom she hadn't seen in months. "Hi, Mom, I wasn't sure you'd be here."

"Yeah, Nick called and talked some sense into me. I've been neglecting you guys too much, and it is important that I spend the holidays with you."

Gillian smiled warmly, and gave her mother a hug. "Oh! I know I've told you about him, but I know we weren't together the last time I really talked to you. Mom, this is Cal Lightman."  
Cal reached out to shake her hand, and she pulled him in for a hug. "It's nice to finally meet you, Cal. I'm Michelle."

"It's nice to meet you too."

"I've heard so much about you over the years!"

"I know, Gill really can't shut up about me." That earned Cal a soft smack to his chest from Gillian. "It's alright I guess, I really can't shut up about her either. She is truly a remarkable person."

"We already knew that. I am very proud of my Gillybean." Michelle stroked Gillian's hair.

"That's a cute name, luv, how come you never mentioned it before?" Cal had a sly grin on his face.

"It just never came up!" Nick came around the corner and announced that dinner was ready. Everyone filed into the kitchen one by one to get a little of everything. Gillian stocked up on extra ham and green bean casserole, they were her favorites, other than dessert, of course. Everyone sat in various places around the house to eat. The kids primarily all sat at the table, Nancy and Charlie there to watch over them. Everyone else sat in the living room near the tree. Cal and Gillian sat on the couch with Michelle, with Emily at Cal's feet.

"Emily, tell me about yourself." Michelle inquired.

"Well, I'm a senior in high school this year, looking at a career in journalism."

"She should be going into matchmaking, if you ask me. She's the reason that Gill and I are together." Emily was beaming with pride as her Dad patted her head.

"Sounds interesting. Do you want to write articles for a newspaper or something else?"

"Newspapers would be interesting. I like to write thought provoking things. Like about what Dad and Gill do. Articles like that, that get people talking or at least interested in looking into the science."

"Not too much on us though or we may get run out of business by the new up and comers" Cal laughed.

"Well, Dr. Lightman, how did you get into it? Did you read an article about your science?"

Gillian stiffened and shot her mother a look that could kill. Very few people knew that story and it was not something to tell around Christmas dinner.

Cal had to tread lightly. "I started noticing some things on my mother's face, tics and muscle contractions. It was a theory, and I ran with it. When I discovered a lot of it to be true, I studied it more, wrote it all down, and started implementing it."

"Interesting. I don't know how you do it, but I find it fascinating."

"Thank you."  
When everyone was done eating, Gillian and Nick gathered all the plates and headed to the kitchen to clean up a bit. Gillian was the first to break the silence. "How did you get Mom here?"

"I told her the truth. When I called to invite her, she said she was just going to spend Christmas with Thomas' family. I told he that was unfair. I said that my kids didn't have a relationship with her, and that it wasn't fair to us, especially you, since she skipped out on your birthday. I think I made her feel really guilty, but it worked, she's here. That's all that matters in my mind."

"Thank you."

"No problem. Besides, it's time she met Cal!" They laughed.

Meanwhile, Michelle was in the other room, asking Cal about his future plans. "So, how long have you two been official?"

"It'll be a year in February."

"And what do you plan on doing after that?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with Gillian, but I'm not sure she's ready for that yet. But when I'm sure she is I have an awesome plan, no intervention from my adolescent daughter this time!" Emily laughed.

"What about kids. Do you want them?"

"Honestly, we haven't talked about that." He hated bringing up kids. He felt like a jerk sometimes because he had Emily, and Gillian didn't have anyone. He was also afraid to open any wounds when it came to Sophie. "I'm open to it if that's what she wants. I think Gill would be a great mom."

"Did you know that she had a little girl?"

"Yes, I did." Cal confirmed. Emily looked up at her dad, confused. She hadn't heard any of this, she didn't know about Sophie. "She actually called me the day they took her back. She wanted to explain why she wouldn't be at work, I remember telling her to take all the time she needed. I also joined her a few nights later with a bottle of wine, and a tub of chocolate ice cream. Anything I could find to comfort her."

"It sounds to me like you loved her back then." Allison spoke up.

"Of course I did. But she was married, so she was off limits. And even after they divorced, I gave her space, because I never thought she would even look at me."

"And look at you two now! I really don't know how you do it. If I were to spend all day every day with Tom, I would go nuts! You two see each other at work and at home, and it just seems like you don't get a break."

"Actually, at work, we see each other a lot, but we have a lot of time to do our own things. We often work separate cases, or spend a lot of time in our own offices. We may only see each other at work for a few hours each day, the rest of the day we are on our own."

"I guess that works well." At this moment, Sarah and Sadie, along with the other 3 children came rushing in. They were squealing with delight! The ones old enough to read started handing out presents while Nick and Nancy helped. The younger two (who looked to be about three and four) sat near their parents and waited to be handed their gifts. "So, who belongs to who?' Cal asked, gesturing toward the kids.

"Well, you know who Sarah and Sadie belong to, Jenelle is my oldest, "Charlie pointed to the other girl who was helping to hand out gifts, "And this little man is Max, and he is my youngest. My wife is with her family tonight and couldn't make it." He pointed at the other little boy. "Louis there is Allison's"

Cal's train of thought was interrupted by a box plopped down in his lap by Sadie. Emily had a few boxes, much to her surprise. And there were three items that were addressed to both Cal and Gillian. Sarah scooted up to Emily and held up a box. "We picked this out for you, open it now!" When Emily took it, Sarah began jumping up and down. Emily found a pair of pajamas inside that had snowflakes all over them. They were made out of a thick fleece material. "Thanks, guys! I wasn't expecting anything!"

"Well, in our family, everyone gets a pair of Christmas pajamas. You weren't leaving here without any!" Gillian reached over and hugged the girl tightly. They all opened their gifts. Cal had gotten a few pairs of flannel pajama pants, and some t-shirts that he was sure Gillian would wear more than he would. Gillian got a pair like Emily's, except hers had snowmen on them. Cal and Gillian together got matching bathrobes, a gift certificate to the spa, and a box of movie snacks. Emily got an American Eagle gift card, and a few shirts that she loved, and were just her size. The all sat around and talked for a bit, until Louis and Max started to fall asleep. Sarah and Sadie had already changed into their new Christmas pajamas. So they called it a night. Gillian made the rounds, saying goodbye, and Merry Christmas, and Cal followed. Emily gave everyone sincere thank yous and hugs, and they left for home.

"Gill, your family is so nice. They didn't need to get me anything."

"Honey, you're part of the family, so you will get treated like part of the family." Two arms reached around from the back seat to hug Gillian in the passenger seat. "Thank you!" Emily whispered.

When they got home, Gillian made an announcement. "Okay, so we all need to change into our new Christmas pajamas, and we are watching a movie."

"What movie?" Emily inquired.

"Whatever movie you want. But it needs to be Christmas related."

"Okay luv. You go change, I just want to talk to Em for a sec." Gillian looked puzzled, but obliged. She went upstairs and left them alone. Cal turned to Emily. "I noticed you were confused earlier, and I didn't want to leave you in the dark. About Gill's little girl."

Emily's face showed understanding. "Yeah, I was confused. But I figured it was just something that hadn't come up."

"A few years ago, Gill and Alec had adopted a baby girl, named Sophie. But the birth mother had sixty days to change her mind, so on day fifty seven, she decided that she had made a huge mistake, and took Sophie back. That's what Michelle was referring to today."

"That's such a crappy thing to do! I would have been pissed."

"Yeah, Gill had a tough time with it."

"Well, thanks for filling me in. I'm going to go change." She went upstairs towards her room, and Cal heard the door shut. He also went upstairs, and into his own bedroom. Gillian was sitting on the bed, waiting for him.

"Did you have fun?" She asked.

"I did, luv, thank you for inviting me."

She laughed, "Any time, Cal. Did my mother drive you nuts?"

"Not really. Only when she started asking me about what I was planning with you. I guess no matter how old your child gets, you never grow out of that, wouldn't you say, Gillybean?"

"Oh God, not that again!" She rolled her eyes, "That's what my parents used to call me, because of my name and my sweet tooth. I used to hate it!"

Cal laughed. The pajama pants fit him perfectly. "Hey, I really want to thank you and your family for making Emily feel so included."

"You are part of my family now, Cal, and so is she. Don't forget it!"

"I won't. I'm just wondering how everyone seemed to know Emily's size."

Gillian blushed. "I may have done some snooping while I was doing laundry."

Cal pulled her to her feet, embraced her, and kissed her hard on the lips. "Thank you again." They left the room together, walking toward the living room. Emily started cracking up when they got there. "Dad! You have to take a picture of Gillian and I in our matching pajamas!" It was true, they were very similar pajamas, and Cal pulled out his phone. They posed together nicely, and then did crazy faces. Both of those would be up on Facebook shortly. Emily had picked out Rudolf for them to watch. Cal popped it in, and snuggled on the couch between his two favorite people in the world.

It was after midnight when the movie ended. "Merry Christmas ladies!" Cal chuckled.

"Merry Christmas!" Gillian replied. "Em, you have to go to bed, or else Santa won't come!"

Emily laughed at Gillian. "Okay, I'll get right on that. Goodnight Dad. Goodnight Gill." She hugged them both and climbed upstairs. Cal pulled out the last few presents he had hidden, and put them under the tree. He and Gillian went up the stairs together and collapsed into bed. Cal hugged her close to him, and they drifted off together.

Emily woke them up early the next morning as if she was six again, jumping on the bed and jarring them awake. "Santa came! Come on Dad, Santa came! Gill, don't you want to see what Santa brought you?" Gillian groaned, and rolled over. She laughed at the teen jumping on their bed.

"I think your father needs some more encouragement." Gillian and Emily grinned at each other. Suddenly, they were both up and shaking the bed. "Cal, Santa came!" yelled Gillian, smacking him with a pillow.

"Dad, come one, get up! It's Christmas!" They jumped around some more while Cal pretended to sleep. He was really getting a kick out of this. When he popped one eye open, they cheered, and gave each other a high five.

"Alright!" He grumbled. "I'm up! Let's go." He jumped out of bed and ran downstairs faster than Gillian had ever seen him move. Emily and Gillian rushed down after him. Cal had grabbed his stocking off the wall and was already rifling through it. Emily did the same. Gillian started arranging the gifts into piles, and then grabbed her own stocking. It was the typical stuff, a toothbrush, shaving needs, some candy and smaller trinkets. The next thing she knew, Emily was opening her gifts one by one. When she opened the heavier one, her mouth hung in awe. "Dad, seriously? Thank you so much!" She jumped up and hugged him. It was the typewriter that she had made him write his book on so that he wouldn't be distracted.

"I figured every journalist needs their own typewriter. So I'm handing this one down to you. Take care of it, Em."

"I will!" She returned to opening her presents. Gillian and Cal also started opening theirs. Gillian had gotten Cal a bunch of new outfits, and a new picture frame for his office with their beach picture in it. It was one of Gillian's favorite pictures of the two of them. Cal had gotten Gillian a gold heart necklace with diamonds in it. He had also gotten her a few new dresses, and a kindle.

Emily had gotten a new pair of fuzzy slippers and a few outfits from Gillian, as well as a lot of the things she would need at college. When she opened the last gift, she shrieked. "An iPad? Oh my gosh, guys, thank you!" She hugged them both.

"It was all Gillian's idea, don't thank me, thank her."

Emily hugged Gillian. "I figured it would be nice, portable enough to take with you, snap pictures if you need them, and it's extremely user friendly when it comes to typing and rearranging articles."

"Sounds like you did your research."

"I did!"

Cal got up and made breakfast while the two women talked. He made scrambled eggs and sausage links with toast. He also heated up some cinnamon buns and made hot chocolate. He called them into the kitchen to eat. When they had finished, it was time for Emily to make her way to her mom's house. She hugged them both again. "Thank you guys so much for everything."

When she had left, Gillian hugged Cal from behind. "So is this what Christmas is like at your house every year?"

"Not usually. Usually it's a bit quieter, but I like it better when it's crazy."

"I liked it." Gillian stated. "Before, Christmas was boring. I mean, I would always go to Nick's every Christmas eve, but Christmas day was boring. Alec would sleep all day, we never actually exchanged gifts, and it was like any other day. I like this way better."

Cal turned around and caught her in a tight embrace. "Well here's to 40 more, just like this one!"

Gillian smiled and took his face in her hands. "Merry Christmas, Cal"

"Merry Christmas, luv."


	16. Chapter 16

Trying to plan Emily's 18th birthday party had been really hard on Zoe. She didn't like to think that her baby had grown up, but here was the evidence right in front of her, and she couldn't ignore it anymore. Also, she was working really close with Cal, and that meant working with Gillian. And that was not fun. Gillian had all sorts of ideas, had already thought of so many things. It wasn't her daughter that was graduating, why did she even care.

"Oh, and Nick and Nancy would love to come, as would Michelle." She and Cal were going over the guest list. "So that makes five more on my side, I guess. George would love to come, but can't make the flight."

"Wait." Zoe stopped him. "Who are Nick, Nancy and Michelle?"

"Gill's family. Her brother and sister in law, their kids, and her mother."

"I don't know if that is such a great idea. I mean, how long have they even known Emily?"

"Long enough! And you invited all of Tony's family. Why can't Gill's family come?"

Zoe stopped and took a breath. "Okay. You're right. It's not fair of me to say that. Tony's family barely knows her, I'm sure Gillian's family knows her a little more." Zoe had to calm herself. She was being petty and she knew it. Both she and Cal had moved on, he was finally happy. And that fact alone is what killed her. He was happier with Gill than he had ever been with her. They couldn't even sit in a room together to plan a party for their daughter without glaring at each other. She had really burned her bridges in this relationship, and it was important that they stay civil for the sake of their daughter. "I booked a hall and a DJ. The DJ will give us a discount, he is an old friend of Tony."

"Sounds okay to me. I can be in charge of invitations as long as you get me addresses."

"That sounds great." She got up to leave. "Cal. I never apologized for how I acted when I found out about you and Gillian. I'm sorry I told you it was doomed, and that it would never work. I can see now that she makes you happier than I ever could. I wish you guys the best." She left his office before he could thank her for her apology.

Cal opened his computer. He opened up the corrections that the editor had sent him and started working on them. He was glad to have this almost out of his way, so he could move on to better things.

About an hour later, Gillian waltzed in. She was wearing a rose colored, long sleeved blouse and light brown pants. She had on nude colored heels, and her hair was pulled back. She wore the necklace that Cal had gotten her for Christmas, just like she did every day. "Are you about ready to go? It's date night with Ria, remember? I have to go home and change."

Cal shut his laptop and stood up. They had taken to carpooling, it was cheaper now that they shared expenses, and easier since they shared a commute. "Alright. But I have to finish fixing this chapter tonight. Don't let me forget." He put the laptop in its case, slung the case over his shoulder, and grabbed her arm. They headed toward the door.

Cal opened the passenger side door for Gillian, and walked around to the driver's side. They drove toward the house in a comfortable silence, Gillian's hand rested on his knee. Cal broke the silence after a few minutes. "Oh yeah. Zoe gave me the shock of a lifetime today. She apologized for whatever it was that she said all that time ago. You know, when she said our relationship was doomed and all that? Yeah, no provocation or anything, she just apologized."

Gillian was surprised. "What did you say?"

"Nothing. I didn't get the chance, she left before I could. I wanted to thank her."

Gillian was quiet. Things had always been strained with Zoe. She was never easy to handle. They settled back into their comfortable silence, hand in hand, all the way home.

When they got home, Gillian ran upstairs, and changed into her favorite dress. It was bright red and tight. It showed off her legs perfectly, and hugged her curves beautifully. The open back meant she would be cold in this January air, but once inside the bar, it wouldn't be a problem. She usually reserved dresses like this for date nights, especially when dancing would be involved. She slipped on a pair of black pumps, and made sure that her necklace from Cal was straight and you couldn't see the clasp. Then she grabbed a thin black sweater and headed out the door.

When she got back in the car, Cal could see that she was wearing his favorite dress. She looked stunning in it, because he knew she felt confident in it, plus the color looked radiant on her. "Let's roll!" She tapped his knee with her hand when she spoke, showing her eagerness to get out on that dance floor. They had both come to look forward to these nights that they hung out with Ria. As Cal drove, Gillian sent out a quick text to let the younger woman know that they were on their way.

When they got to the bar, Ria and Alex already had a table, and the first round. Ria got up, and gave Gillian a hug. "Hey, Gill! You look hot!"

Gillian laughed. "You don't look too bad yourself!" Ria was wearing black skinny jeans, and a loose fitting black shirt, with the right amount of long, silver jewelry. Her hair was long, down to the middle of her back, and loosely curled.

Ria gave Cal a hug. "Nice to see you, Lightman."

"You too Torres." He shook Alex's hand. "Nice to see you, Alex."

"Nice to see you too, Dr. Lightman. What's new with you guys?"

"Well, we are planning Em's 18th birthday party. You guys will definitely be invited, as will most of the office. She has known most everyone there for most of her life."

"How are you doing with that?" Ria asked.

"Alright. I'm not used to the idea of my child as an adult yet." Everyone was silent, no one understood quite what he was going through. Gillian rubbed his back in a way that was supposed to be comforting, and he leaned right into it. He downed the first drink. "Let's dance, I want to have fun tonight."

Gillian laughed as he pulled her to the dance floor. They had become used to the Latin music that always played at this bar. It was easier to dance to, and so much fun! Ria and Alex joined, and soon they were all laughing, and having a good time. Cal and Gillian loved dancing to the faster songs, and had improved remarkably since Ria had given them a few lessons. But it was during the slow songs that they really shined. They melted into each other, and it was like they were made for each other. They only had eyes for each other. After the first slow song of the night, Ria and Gillian went to the bar to buy the second round. "I wish Alex looked at me the way Lightman looks at you when we slow danced."

"I think you guys look cute when you slow dance! Don't let Cal intimidate you!"

"See, but Alex and I, we are into each other. But when you and Cal slow dance, it's like you guys are the only two people in the world. You are just so into each other."

"Alex is into you, don't let us intimidate you. It will only make you doubt your relationship." Gillian touched her shoulder reassuringly. They grabbed the second round and brought it to the table, and Cal and Alex joined them there.

"So, what is it that you ladies talk about that is so interesting when you are at the bar?" Cal asked.

"You and Gill, and how when you slow dance together it's the most beautiful thing."

"What do you mean? We're just dancing!"

"Yeah, but you two are really into each other, and you just look so content." Alex explained.

"You see, maybe if you two spent more time paying attention to each other and less time looking at us, you wouldn't be so jealous!" Gillian teased, and everyone laughed. They drank their drinks and headed back out to the dance floor, immediately having fun again. Gillian enjoyed dancing, it made her feel like a teenager at the prom again, except this time, her date was much better! When another slow song came on, they grabbed each other, and embraced again. Cal melted into the curves of Gillian's body, and they swayed gently to the music. Their eyes met, and they both smiled, they were happy. When the song was over, Ria pulled Gillian aside. She held up her phone.

"Look. This is what I mean. You guys are like the perfect embodiment of love, and you don't even know it." Gillian looked at the pictures, and saw some of the most raw expressions of love that she had ever seen. She loved these pictures, almost as much as the one Emily had snapped of them kissing at the beach.

"Do Cal and I always look like that when we are together?"

"For the most part, yes."

"Do you mind if I send these to myself?" Gillian asked the younger woman.

"Go ahead." She replied.

Gillian started typing her number in, and choosing her favorites. "You know, instead of snapping pictures of us, you should focus on your boyfriend."

"Well, now that you can see what I have been talking about, maybe I will!" They laughed. Both women headed back to the dance floor to be with their dates. Gillian grabbed Cal, and whispered in his ear. "After the next slow song, we can leave. I'm exhausted tonight."

"Whatever you want, luv." Came his reply. They danced for about another hour and a half before another slow song played. Cal grabbed Gillian, and she felt his warm arms envelop her. They kissed and gazed at each other again, swaying to the music.

"Hold on." Gillian whispered, and broke eye contact. She looked around, and found Ria and Alex. They were dancing too, and they looked really sweet. For once, Ria was focused on her date, and not on Cal and Gillian. Gillian pulled out her phone, snapped a quick picture for later, and went back to Cal, who looked a little confused, but went with it.

After the song was over, they said their goodbyes. Gillian hugged both Ria and Alex, and they headed for the door. And ever chivalrous Cal opened the door for Gillian before scurrying around to the driver's side. He turned on the radio, and drove, while Gillian texted the picture she had snapped to Ria so she would have it later.

Cal smiled and started singing along with the song that was playing.

_Tuxedo waiters, black ties__  
__White tablecloths and red wine__  
__We've been plannin' this night__  
__Lookin' forward to it for sometime_

It was funny to Gillian. Cal, who had grown up in England, loved American country music. She wasn't a fan, she tolerated it, but it wasn't her first choice. She would rather listen to pop songs. Cal continued to serenade her.

_Now honey, I know you love gettin' dressed up__  
__And you know I love showin' you off__  
__Watchin' your baby blue eyes, dancin' in the candlelight glow__  
__All I can think about is gettin' you home_

Gillian loved this, she loved being serenaded. And, yes, Cal's voice wasn't low enough to sing in Chris Young's octave, but he was surprisingly good. It was something that she had discovered around the holidays for the first time, when they did some Christmas caroling. He could do harmonies pretty well by himself. Gillian couldn't even whistle on key, but she enjoyed it!

_Walkin' through the front door__  
__Seein' your black dress hit the floor__  
__Honey, there sure ain't nothing like you lovin' me all night long__  
__And all I can think about is gettin' you home_

Of course, Cal changed the word black to red in that chorus, and Gillian smiled. She grabbed his hand, and he sang along with the rest of the song, making her giggle for the entire ride home. When they pulled up to their house, Cal got out, and ran around the car to open the door for Gillian. "After you" He let her walk up to the door first. She opened the front door, and walked through, and Cal followed. When he turned around after locking the door, he was shocked to see Gillian in front of him, slipping off her hot, red dress, and letting it slide down her body onto the floor. His mouth hung open in awe, and she turned to him, wearing nothing except a pair of black lace panties. "I'm headed upstairs. Are you coming?" With that she turned around and left, and Cal followed her upstairs, closing their bedroom door behind him.

* * *

The dining hall that Zoe had picked was the perfect size for everyone at Emily's birthday party. Emily had really only invited a few close friends, so it was mostly a family party. Gillian was just glad that this time, she didn't need to guard a punch bowl. She sat with her side of the family, laughing and talking, and watched as Cal and Emily danced with Sarah and Sadie. Cal had picked up Sadie, and was dipping her upside down. She was laughing, and having a good time. Adam was dancing close by Emily and Sarah, watching his son bounce the way toddlers do when they dance. Zoe had actually been civil the entire time, and made an effort to introduce herself to Gillian's family.

Michelle spoke up. "Look at him with that little one, Gillybean. He looks like he is having the time of his life."

"I'm sure he is, Mom. Cal is great with kids. I mean, look at Emily, she turned out great!"

"Yes. She is a sweet girl. I'm glad she took the initiative to set you two up. You know, I've never seen you happier."

"Even when I was with Alec?" Her mother had always praised Alec, and talked about what a great match they were. Gillian didn't know if she could trust her mother's judgment.

"You were happy with Alec at first, don't get me wrong. It just wasn't quite the same. I can see that now. You have found something that many of us don't always find. Make sure you keep him close to you."

At that moment, a slow song came on. Gillian watched as Zoe and Tony took to the dance floor. Emily also grabbed Adam, while Brad stood awkwardly near Sarah, unsure of what to do, but not wanting to cry. Gillian stood up and looked at her mother. "I'm going to see if I can pull Sadie away from my boyfriend."

Michelle laughed at her. "Good luck with that!"

Gillian was lucky. Nick had heard this conversation, and had grabbed all of the children, enticing them with cake. Gillian laughed as little Brad toddled over to her brother, looking for some sugary frosting to get all over his face. Out of nowhere, Cal's arms were around Gillian, fitting perfectly into the curves of her body. She didn't notice anyone anymore, she didn't know where anyone else was on the dance floor. She didn't even know if anyone else had joined in, as there were plenty of other couples there. She just knew that Cal was there, and that he was wrapped around her, and that was all that mattered.

"Alright, we had some beautiful couples out there. Now it's time for the daughters to shine, so daughters, find your fathers, and don't lose them!" Emily tapped Gillian on the shoulder.

"Can I butt in?" She asked, with an amused expression.

"Of course you can!" Gillian relinquished Cal, and he grabbed Emily's hand, placing one hand on her waist. Gillian sat back down with her mother, and watched the father daughter dance. Nick had both of his girls, and they were dancing in a very funny circle. Zoe and her sister were doing a similar thing with their father, and Gillian smiled. Gillian almost wished that she could dance with her father, but she knew that he would have ruined an event like this. His intentions were always good, but he didn't have a filter, and when he spoke his mind, it could be hurtful. At her wedding, he had been very vocal about how he didn't think it would work, and it had ruined the day. Although he had been proven correct, it didn't make it hurt any less. She shook off any thoughts about her father as she watched Cal and Emily dance. Her heart began to swell at the sight, and for honestly the first time in their relationship, she felt a longing. She wanted to watch Cal do this one day with their daughter. She wanted the opportunity to raise a child with him that would grow up to be just like Emily. But she knew it was too late. As soon as she realized that, her heart fell. Emily was eighteen, why would Cal want to start over? So she resolved to settle for watching from afar, and pretending. Maybe one day, it wouldn't hurt so much.

* * *

The song used is called Gettin' You Home by Chris Young, who, by the way sounds AMAZING live. Seriously, any guy that can sing with a baritone voice like that is amazing. Please review! They make me happy! I seriously need to catch up though, I have one other chapter completely written, but it's nowhere near this place in their storyline.


	17. Chapter 17

Gillian sauntered into the living room where Cal had been waiting. She had changed out of her work outfit, and into clothes for their anniversary date. Cal had planned it, and he was being secretive. "Dress comfortably" was all that he had told her. So she had dressed down slightly. She was wearing a loosely fitting blouse, and her most comfortable pair of black pants. She had on flats, and left her hair down and straight. Cal looked up from his computer and shook his head. "Luv, you look stunning, but I need you to dress comfortably."

"I am comfortable." She argued, rolling her eyes. "This would be easier if you told me what you had planned."

He grinned. "Not going to happen, luv. What do you wear around the office when you work late?" She sighed. Back upstairs she went, to change again. She searched around in her drawers for a pair of yoga pants. She found a pair of darker grey yoga pants and put them on. She had to get rid of this blouse, she felt oddly out of place. She found a long sleeved loosely fitting purple shirt, which she put on. Now, she was sure that when he mentioned her office clothing stash, he didn't mean that she wanted her to put on fuzzy slippers, so she found an old pair of Keds. She usually reserved them for cleaning or running errands, and hadn't worn them in a while. She adjusted the necklace that she always wore, and headed downstairs again. This time, when he looked up, he nodded in approval.

"Much better! Let me just finish editing this chapter, and we'll go." He was almost done with his book. If he continued at this rate, it would be printed before Gillian's birthday in May! She stayed patient, and waited for twenty minutes while he muttered to himself. Finally, he shut the laptop, and stood up. "Alright luv, ready to go?"

She smiled. "Yes! I'm curious to see what you have come up with." He held out his arm, and she grabbed it. They walked, arms linked to the passenger side of the car, where Cal opened the door for Gillian. She laughed. "I'm glad to see that a year later, you are still the same chivalrous guy that you were when we first started dating!" She flashed back to that first date, when Cal got the door for her and walked her to her front door, where they had their first real kiss. She had teased him about it that night, she thought he was trying to impress her. Soon she had realized that it was just part of his personality, and she had grown accustomed to it.

Cal turned on the radio and drove. They held hands, sitting in a comfortable silence. Gillian wasn't paying attention to the music, she was watching where they were going, trying to anticipate the date before it happened. When he pulled into Emily's school, she was puzzled.

Cal parked the car, and got out of the car, running around to the passenger side to get Gillian. When she got out, she looked around. There weren't other cars in the parking lot, so it couldn't be a surprise anything. She was thoroughly stumped. Cal took her hand, and led her toward a building that was set apart from the rest. It looked like a gymnasium. Cal walked up to the door, and fished out a set of keys. "The principal and I go way back." He explained. "I used to do some work for him before we started the Lightman Group, it's what got me interested in consulting for larger places. When I told him my dilemma for my date night idea, he told me that I could have the keys, and use this place." Gillian shivered in the cold February air, while she listened to him explain, and waited for him to open the door. He finally found the right key, opened the door, and beckoned Gillian inside.

When she stepped in, it was dark. When the lights came on suddenly, she saw a basketball court, with a single basketball waiting in the center. She smiled. Cal was beside her suddenly. "Fancy a game of one on one?"

She smiled, and ran toward the ball. She scooped it up, dribbled, and threw it at the basket. She missed. "I like to watch, Cal. I never said I was any good!"

Cal also threw the ball at the basket and missed. "I'm no good either, luv. I'm too short to be taken seriously!"

She laughed. They passed the ball back and forth a few times. "The first one to five wins." She stated.

"What are the stakes?" he asked.

"What do you want them to be?" She inquired, grinning slyly.

"If I win, then we get to shag." He answered bluntly, but was had that foolish grin from ear to ear.

"Okay. What if I win?"

"We still get to shag." They laughed.

"Deal." She agreed. She had the ball and started dribbling toward the basket. She lined up to take her shot, and Cal grabbed her from behind, lifting her off her feet. "No fair!" she cried out, laughing. Cal stole the ball from her arms, and ran toward the basket, shooting and scoring.

"Point one for me!" He called out.

"Travelling. I'll concede to the point, but you need to dribble the ball!" She didn't care about the points, either way the outcome was the same.

"Fine." He fake pouted, looking disappointed, and threw the ball back at her.

The game continued like this for a while. It was the most unorthodox game of one on one that Gillian had ever played. They stopped keeping score after Gillian hit five points and Cal was only at two. They missed more baskets than they made, but they were having fun. Finally, they stopped. Both of them were sweating and panting. Cal grinned. "I hope you worked up an appetite, luv." He walked over to the bleachers, and pulled out a quilt. He laid it on the gym floor in the center of the court. He walked back toward the bleachers, and pulled out a picnic basket. She grinned.

"I know how much you love picnics luv, but it's just too cold to do one in February, and I didn't want to wait until your birthday in May. So I thought we'd set one up here!" She sat down on the blanket, waiting patiently. He pulled out some sandwiches from her favorite sandwich shop. "I wanted to bring an orange slushy, but I figured it would probably melt." She laughed, as he handed he a bottle of water instead. They sat and ate, teasing each other about different things that had happened over the past year. When they were done with the sandwiches, Cal pulled out a plate of brownies. Gillian kissed him.

"You did a great job planning all of this. Thank you." She was amazed that every time they kissed, she still felt warm and tingly. By this point in her relationship with Alec, it just felt routine. She liked that it always felt new and exciting with Cal.

They both enjoyed the brownies, and Cal teased her about her love of all things sweet. "I never knew someone who loved chocolate as much as you do."

"I'm a girl, Cal, we all love chocolate."

"Yes, girls like chocolate. Emily and Zoe ate their fair share. But sometimes I fear that you love chocolate more than you love me!" They laughed together. It was Gillian's turn to poke fun.

"Why didn't you ever show me that you can sing until Christmas? I mean, I love being serenaded!"

"I don't know, it never came up!"

"I just feel like you were holding out on me all that time!" they laughed some more, and Cal started singing one of his more recent favorites.

"Absolutely nobody knows me better, no one that can make me feel so good! How did we stay so long together, when everybody. Everybody said we never would. And just when I start to think they're right, that love has died."

Now Gillian joined in with him. "There you go making my heart beat again, heart beat again, heart beat again. There you go making me feel like a kid, won't you do it and do it one time. There you go pulling me right back in, right back in, right back in and I know, I'm never letting this go. I'm stuck on you, whoa whoa stuck like glue. You and me baby we're stuck like glue!" The country music was slowly beginning to grow on Gillian, and this had been one of the songs that he loved to sing to her.

He stopped singing. "Did you know that in that video, she is a crazy stalker who kidnaps the guy that she fixated on?"

Gillian laughed. "No, I didn't! I'll have to look it up though, that seems funny. She laid back on the blanket, and Cal rested on top of her, kissing her tenderly. She felt like she could stay there with him for hours. Suddenly, Cal stood up.

"One more thing, luv." He pulled out a remote, and pressed a few buttons. The wall in front of them lit up, and displayed a projection of the DVD menu for The Illusionist. Cal pressed a few more buttons, and the sound went up, and the lights went down. "If I remember correctly, the last time we watched this movie, we didn't end up watching the movie." Gillian's face heated up with the memory. "So I thought today, we could watch it for real, on the big screen!" He pressed play, and snuggled next to her. She decided to enjoy the movie, they had all night at home for anything more. With Cal snuggled next to her, they watched, thoroughly enjoying the pleasure of each other's company. When the movie was over, they laid there a bit longer, not wanting to leave. Gillian was the one to move first, picking up the remnants of their picnic, and trying to roll Cal over so that she could get the blanket.

She helped him up off the floor, and they embraced, melting into each other perfectly, as always. "Let's go home, Cal." He finished cleaning up after themselves, he didn't want to leave a mess that anyone would have to clean before school tomorrow. Lastly, he pulled the DVD out of the player to bring home with them.

He locked the gym door, and lead Gillian back to the car, opening the door for her. They drove home quietly, Cal letting Gillian choose the radio station. He spoke up. "So, did you enjoy yourself?"

"I did. It wasn't what I was expecting, I mean, a picnic in the wintertime! So, next year, I have to plan something better, and you have set a really high bar." They laughed together. When they got home, Cal got out of the car, and hurried around the front of the car to let Gillian out. They headed inside. Cal threw out the last of the leftover food bits that were still in the basket, and stashed the basket in the hall closet. When he got upstairs, Gillian was sitting with her kindle, reading a book. He sat down in bed next to her, and kissed her cheek.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, luv."

She put down her kindle, and leapt on top of him, straddling him, and shoving her tongue into his mouth. She could feel Cal's arousal. She pulled her mouth away from his for a moment. "Don't tell me you forgot the stakes of our game. I won, so we get to shag!" He grinned, as they continued to kiss. Nope, life couldn't get any better than it was at this moment.


	18. Chapter 18

Gillian and Cal walked up to Nick's front door together, and Cal rang the doorbell. They laughed, as they heard the scurry of little feet running toward the door. Soon it was opened, and Sarah and Sadie stood there, jumping around and flapping their arms. "Auntie Gill and Cal are here!" They announced to whoever was in the house. Cal and Gillian stepped in the house, and hung their jackets on the coatrack while Sadie and Sarah continued to jump around. Nick was in the room with them shortly.

"Girls, I have a question for you. Did either of you ask who was at the door before you opened it?" Both of the girls looked down and away. Nick didn't need Cal to tell him what that shame expression meant. "Okay, we need to work on that. What if it wasn't Auntie Gill at the door? Next time, ask first."

"Sorry, Daddy." They said it in unison, voices lowered, and still wouldn't look Nick in the eye.

"Sorry, guys. We are trying to reinforce some stranger-danger lessons. How are you two doing?" Sadie and Sarah took this as an opportunity to sneak out of the hallway.

"We're doing Well, Nick. How about you?" Gillian answered.

"Really looking forward to this date night. Thank you for canceling your plans."

Cal answered next. "It's no big deal, I think Ria and Alex will survive for one Friday night without us." He and Gillian both laughed.

"So, what's the plan?" Gillian asked her brother.

"Well, we are grabbing dinner first and then heading out for a jazz concert. We shouldn't be home much later than eleven, but if plans change I'll let you know. The girls haven't eaten yet, but all their homework is done. I left money out for pizza. They can stay up until nine just for tonight, and they have picked out a movie for you all to watch."

"What about dessert?" Cal interjected. "Sorry, I just like to spoil them." Gillian smiled at him, and stifled a laugh.

"Well, we would be okay with desserts, just try and keep it to a minimum." Cal nodded in agreement, but Gillian could see that he had something up his sleeve. At that moment, Nancy came downstairs. She looks ready to go, her stick-straight dirty blonde hair held up with a giant clear butterfly clip. She was wearing a black short sleeved dress, and carried a green jacket.

"Whoa, Nancy, pulling out all the stops for Date night! You look great!" Gillian hugged her sister in law, and Nancy blushed.

"Thanks!" She turned to Nick. "Are you ready to go, babe?"

"All set whenever you are." They walked into the living room together, where the girls were watching TV. "Sadie and Sarah." Nick spoke with authority, and both girls turned around to look. "Make sure you listen well to Cal and Auntie Gill. Do whatever they say, and behave yourselves. We will see you in the morning." The girls both got up from their perches and ran to their father, hugging him goodbye. Next, they ran to Nancy, who bent down to their level and kissed them both on their foreheads, punctuating each kiss with a firm "Behave."

"Well, come on then, get out of here. We will be fine." Cal spoke up and the girls laughed.

Nick laughed as well. "I know. Thank you guys again." With that, he grabbed his wife's hand and walked toward the door. Cal and Gillian stood by the couch with the girls, waiting. When they heard the click of the front door close, the girls cheered. "Home free!" Sarah yelled, and Gillian laughed.

Sadie went back to her chair, watching something on the Disney Channel, completely enthralled. Sarah joined, but fidgeted, obviously wanting to do more. Cal and Gillian took to the couch, texting each other and making a plan.

**MAYBE WHEN THE SHOW IS OVER WE CAN GET THE PIZZA?** Cal sent the question to Gillian. He didn't usually join her when she watched the twins, so he didn't know the routine. Not that he planned on following the routine. Her answer was quick.

**I CAN ORDER IT NOW IN THE OTHER ROOM SO I DON'T DISRUPT THEM.**

**I HAVE A BETTER IDEA. LOOK AT SARAH.** Gillian watched her niece, who was changing position and moving around, and was now watching Sadie intently, as if she wanted to antagonize her. She needed to get busy, and quick. Gillian answered Cal. **I'M WAITING…**

**LET'S EAT AT THAT PIZZA SHOP DOWN THE STREET.** Gillian considered it. It was a good plan, and might just be the excursion Sarah needed to keep her busy.

**SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN.** She sent the message to Cal, and watched him grin with excitement. When they saw the credits start rolling on the screen, Cal stood up. "Okay, girls, get your jackets and shoes on please!" The girls snapped their heads around and looked at Cal with puzzled expressions. They seemed to look to Gillian for clarification.

In response, Gillian got up, walked into the other room, and grabbed her jacket and Cal's. She put her jacket on, and walked back into the other room to give Cal his. "Come on, what are you two waiting for?" She teased them. They smiled, jumped up, and ran into the other room. Gillian could hear the rustling sound of jackets and the familiar sound of Velcro straps being opened on their shoes.

Before they knew it, the girls were climbing into the backseat of the car with Cal, while Gillian grabbed the money off the table and locked the front door with her spare key. When Gillian joined them in the car, they were off. Gillian put on her favorite kid-friendly pop music station, and she and the girls sang along with whatever was playing all the way down to the pizza house.

Once inside, the girls ran straight to the jukebox. Cal went to the counter to order the pizza, and Gillian followed her nieces, fishing two quarters out of her purse. "Listen. These are the only two quarters I have. You can each pick one song, so make sure you really like it."

"Thank you!" They said in unison, and turned back to the machine to make their selections. Gillian walked over to the table Cal had selected and sat down. "Great idea, Cal. I think they are having fun!" She heard them over at the jukebox, whispering to each other about which songs they liked. Luckily they weren't bothering anyone, no one else was there.

Sadie picked her song first, and she and Sarah had a dance party over in one corner while it played. Gillian laughed as they took each other's hands and danced around in a circle, hopping up and down. Before she knew it, Cal had grabbed her hand, and was pulling her off of the bench to dance with them. The song was over too quickly, and Sarah hadn't made her selection yet. She went over to the jukebox and flipped the pages back and forth, deep in thought. She inserted her quarter, and picked the numbers carefully. The same song that Sadie had picked played again. Gillian was amazed at how much those girls could think alike sometimes.

Cal laughed, and grabbed Sarah, holding her close to him and dancing in a circle. He grabbed her hand and held it forward, swaying along with the music. Gillian took both of Sadie's hands in hers, and they danced in a circle. Gillian watched as Cal "dipped" Sarah, holding her upside down. Sadie released Gillian's hands and ran to Cal. "My turn!" She cried, as she held her hands up. Cal obliged, and dropped a waiting Sarah into Gillian's arms. He picked up the other little girl, and did the same thing. Everyone was laughing and having a great time, and Gillian hoped this would wear the girls out a bit so they would sleep early tonight.

The music ended again, and Gillian had run out of quarters. She made a mental note to bring some next time. Their pizza was ready anyway, so Gillian set the girls up at the table, while Cal grabbed the food. Before the man at the counter gave Cal the pizza, he told him, "You guys have a beautiful family." Cal didn't really know what to say to that, so he just took the compliment as it was. It was too difficult to explain the dynamic to him.

The girls must have been hungry. They ate their pizza faster that both of the adults. While they waited for Cal and Gillian to finish, they talked all about school, and their new friends, and their teacher. "Mrs. Shufelt gets us mixed up all the time, and it's really funny." Sadie informed them.

"Well, how does she do that? I mean, it's easy for your mum and dad, and even for Gill here, because they have known you since birth, and really know your differences. But it was really easy for me to pick up on too, and I met you girls when you were eight." In truth, the girls looked nearly identical in the face, except for the fact that Sadie had one larger freckle on the right side of her nose that Sarah didn't have. But on the flip side, Cal could read expressions, and body movement, and Sarah's body movements and mannerisms were a bit jerkier than Sadie's were. In general, that had a lot to do with the fact that Sarah was usually more hyper and active than Sadie was. "You girls are as different as night and day." They beamed at this statement.

When they were all done eating, they piled in the car again. Cal had a sly grin on his face. "Alright girls, I want to take you somewhere special. My treat. But it's also a secret, and you can't tell mum or dad, understand?"

"Okay!" They emitted high pitched squeals of delight from the back seat, and Gillian laughed. They turned on the radio and sang again as Cal drove to the secret location. When they pulled up in front of the ice cream store, the girls really got excited. "Thank you, Cal!" Sarah had already unbuckled her seat belt and was climbing out of the car. Gillian met her at the doorway of the shop, equally as excited as the girls were.

Inside Cal got a table, and watched as all three females peered into the case, picking out their ice cream flavors, and whispering to each other about their favorites. He laughed out loud at the sight, pulled out his phone, and snapped a picture. Of course, they were going to tell Nick and Nancy about the excursion, and he really wanted to show them this picture. He sent it to Gillian first, knowing she would appreciate it whenever she finally saw it.

Cal sat for a moment reminiscing. He used to bring Emily here all the time when she was younger. They would sit at the little two seater in the corner, and she always got the cookies and cream in a waffle cone. Cal was also habitual, and would get vanilla in a dish with rainbow sprinkles. It had been their ritual on Saturday nights. He got up and walked over to Gillian, who was still peering into the case. "I don't know why you are thinking so hard, luv, we both know you are going to just get chocolate."

She turned around and smacked his chest. "You don't know that for sure."

He knelt down to address the girls. "Are you girls ready to order?"

"Yes." They nodded.

"Well don't nod at me, tell the poor bloke!" He pointed at the teenager behind the counter, and the girls laughed.

"Can I get a small cookie dough in a cone please?" Sarah asked.

"Of course. And for you?" He gestured toward Sadie.

"I would like the cake batter in a small dish please, with chocolate sprinkles."

"Not a problem. And for you ma'am?"

"A medium chocolate in a waffle cone, with hot fudge if possible, please." Cal rolled his eyes at Gillian's order. He should have predicted it.

"Not a problem ma'am. And last but not least, for you sir?"

"A medium vanilla in a dish with rainbow sprinkles, please." The teen rang them up, and got straight to work making their ice cream orders. He handed each order to the individual person, and told them to have a great day. They sat down at the table to eat. Cal was the first person to break the silence. "Now you tell Mrs. Shufelt that if the icecream boy who just met you can tell you apart, she should be able to too." The whole table laughed, and the girls told some really funny mix up stories.

"Why do you call Auntie Gill luv?" Sadie's question came out of nowhere.

"Well, I usually call people luv that I really care about. So I use it with my daughter, Emily sometimes, I call our friend Ria luv sometimes when I know she is upset, and I use it a lot with Gill."

"Do you love Auntie Gill?" Sarah asked.

"Yes I do, with all my heart." He grabbed Gillian's hand as he said this and squeezed it, hard.

"Are you going to marry her?" Sarah asked.

"Maybe, someday. I guess it just depends on if Gill wants to marry me."

"Auntie Gill, do you want to marry Cal?" Sadie asked, and Gillian's face turned bright red.

Cal was the one who saved her. "Oy! I'm supposed to ask her that question! Why are you doing it for me?" The girls laughed, and soon dropped the subject.

It was seven at night by the time that they piled back into the car to head home.

Gillian told them the plan in the car. "When we get you girls home, you need to change into your pajamas, and brush your teeth. That way, we can watch the movie that you picked out, and you can just head upstairs to bed right afterward. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes." They answered in unison. And that's exactly what they did. They zoomed upstairs quickly, and Gillian could hear the opening of drawers and running water. She hung up her jacket and took off her shoes, and made her way into the living room to set up the movie that the girls had picked out. They would watch The Little Mermaid, which was one of their favorites. Cal came in and watched her set up. "Oh, Emily loved the little mermaid growing up, Ariel is her favorite princess."

Gillian smiled. "When this movie came out, I was a teenager. I was really a fan of Sleeping Beauty myself."

"I never cared about Disney princesses. I liked Peter Pan myself. I liked that he was crazy and free."

"That's a shame. I had you pegged for a Cinderella fan!" She teased, and he laughed.

Sadie was the first one downstairs. She sat in Cal's lap and snuggled close. Gillian sat on the smaller couch, and waited for Sarah, who came down a few moments later. Sarah sat on the couch next to Gillian, laid down, and rested her head in Gillian's lap. Gillian pressed play, and started stroking the girl's hair. While the girls watched, Gillian observed Cal, snuggling close to Sadie and hugging her tight. In her mind's eye, she replaced Sadie with a small girl in a blue jumper with braids in her long hair, just like that picture Cal had shown her of Emily on her very first day of school. She smiled, in spite of herself.

By the time Prince Eric was driving his ship into Ursula the Se Witch, the girls were fast asleep. Gillian watched Cal move slowly with Sadie, as he began to carry the sleeping girl upstairs. Gillian did a similar thing with Sarah, except Sarah wasn't already in her lap. She roused the girl enough to get her to wrap her arms around Gillian's Neck, and she carried her upstairs.

Cal had tucked Sadie into the wrong bed, but there was nothing they could do about it now. He had never watched them before, so he didn't know which bed belonged to who. Gillian placed Sarah into Sadie's bed, tucked in the covers, and kissed her sleeping head. She and Cal tiptoed downstairs together.

Gillian pulled out her phone and forwarded the picture Cal had sent her to Nick. **THEY ARE JUST LIKE THEIR AUNTIE! **She then snuggled into Cal on the couch. "Thank you for coming with me today, and I'm sorry we had to cancel our plans with Ria."

"It's alright luv. Besides, we did still get to go dancing!" She laughed and they kissed. They stayed on the couch like that until Nick and Nancy came home.


	19. Chapter 19

The drive home was not at all like their night with the girls. It was quiet and peaceful, and comfortable, without all the awkward questions. "Oh, did I tell you that I finished my book? It should be published by the end of April."

"No, you didn't. That's great!"

"I just need to send in a dedication."

"That's great, Cal! I'm so glad you finished that!" She had read bits and pieces of it, and she knew it was mostly about his limitations when it came to reading people close to him. She knew that the cover would feature a picture of herself and Emily, and she was really excited to read the whole thing. "So, do I get a special copy or something? Since you talked about me enough." She teased.

"Don't worry, both you and Em will get your own copies." He answered. They laughed, and she held his hand the rest of the way home.

It was around midnight when they finally walked through their front door. Thankfully, tomorrow was one of their days off, so they didn't have to go into the office. Saturdays were usually when they did a lot of work from home, like finishing up paperwork and payroll. Sundays were their real days off. But it meant that they could sleep in.

Gillian led the way upstairs, and Cal followed. She changed into pajamas quickly, a pair of fuzzy pajama pants and one of Cal's t-shirts. It smelled like Cal, almost earthy, and it made her feel safe and warm. She didn't care if she had tons of her own pajamas, this was what made her most comfortable. Cal had put on a pair of plaid pajama pants and was shirtless. They laid down together, and snuggled close, her back against his chest, and his arms wrapped around her.

"Do you know what the guy at the pizza house told me today?" Cal asked abruptly.

She turned in his arms so that she could look at his face. "No. What did he say?"

"He said we had a beautiful family."

Gillian stiffened in his arms. "Well, technically, the girls are family." It was a clear deflection, she didn't want to talk about this.

"Gill, you know I haven't wanted to push you into anything. But, are we going to have our own family?" He felt like a jerk, here he was doing the one thing that he didn't want to do. He didn't want to force Gillian into having this conversation. "I want you to know right away that it is entirely up to you. If you don't want to try, that's okay. But if you do, I want you to know that nothing would make me happier than raising a family with you."

A small tear fell from Gillian's eye. "It's just that, you already raised your daughter. I always thought it would be selfish of me to ask for you to start all over again. I thought I would be happy with just you and Emily. And I was honestly okay with the idea of not having children, Cal." He watched her face. As far as he could see, she was sincere about that. "But then I watched you dance with her at her party, and I see you interact with my nieces, and all I want is to have that with you."

He grinned. "So, you want to try?" She cried a little harder, and Cal got worried. "Luv, what did I do, what did I say? Please talk to me."

She regained her composure. "Cal, I have polycystic ovary syndrome. It's really hard for me to get pregnant. I don't respond to fertility drugs. Alec and I tried for two years before we adopted Sophie." He hugged her closer, while she cried, over Sophie and over the kids she would never have. He rubbed her back while she cried into his shoulder. When she pulled away to look back into his eyes, he knew that he could continue.

"What about IVF, or something like that?" He asked her carefully, trying not to push her into anything that she would be uncomfortable with.

"I don't want to do IVF. It seems like a lot of money and a lot of discomfort, and the results aren't perfect. I have a lot of respect for women who go through that time after time, but I'm just not up for the emotional toll it takes." Her face contorted as she held back more tears. "Please don't be upset with me."

"I'm not. It was just an idea, I'm not trying to pressure you into something you don't want to do." He caressed her face, and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Listen, I'm up for whatever you want to do. I don't want you to feel bad for speaking your mind."

She nodded. "Can we just drop this for now?"

"Of course, luv. Whatever you want." She turned around again, and settled into him. His arms wrapped around her helped her to feel secure. She still wanted to cry. She hadn't ever wanted to bring this up. This was one conversation that could reduce her to tears in a matter of seconds, and she hated people seeing her so vulnerable.

Cal listened to Gillian's breath steady. Why did he have to do that? Why did he have to push an issue that he knew could upset her? They were great together now, just the two of them. He meant that when he told her that it was okay if she didn't want to try. Every day was a new adventure, a second chance at love, and he didn't want to lose her. He didn't want to make her feel insecure. He wanted her to be happy with their life, and he had always known that she wanted kids. He didn't want to hold her back from her dream of being a mother.

Her voice was quiet and sudden, piercing through the darkness and heaviness that was in the room. "What about fostering?" she spoke to the wall, not wanting to leave his embrace.

"Well, that could work. But there's no guarantee we would be able to keep the child. Sometimes they aren't a great fit, and sometimes they get reunited with their actual parents. It would be like lodging them, and that might be hard on you."

She was quiet again, thinking before she spoke. "Not always. Alec and I had looked into it. I would rather take in children who need some love and help, than try to have one of my own. I want to help children who feel like they have nowhere else in the world to go. If they had to leave me, I would just hope that I had done whatever possible to give them a better life."

"If that's what you want to do, luv, we can look into it." He kissed her hair, and felt her relax. She was asleep within minutes. When she finally relaxed, so did Cal, and he drifted off as well.

* * *

Gillian greeted person after person that she had never met before, but all of them knew her face. They were at a release party for Cal's book, _Blind Spots_. On the cover was a picture of her and Emily in their matching Christmas pajamas. Why Cal chose that particular picture, Gillian didn't know, but she liked it all the same. She opened up the copy of the book in front of her and read the dedication again. _To my two favorite women in the world. First, to Emily, who taught me how to love unconditionally. Second, to my Gillian, who reinforces the lessons Emily has taught me, and who has given me a second chance at life. I love you both._ It brought tears to her eyes every time she read it. She looked over at Cal, who was signing numerous copies. He wanted to skip this party so badly, but she assured him, it was good for business, so he needed to go and to network. She was doing a similar thing, trying to talk to as many different people as she could, and handing out business cards along the way.

A woman in a red dress came up to Gillian, and put her hand in the small of her back. "So tell me, is being married to the lie guy intimidating?"

"Well, we aren't married, and no, not really. Cal and I have a total honesty policy, since he can still read me sometimes, and I can't read him."

"Why haven't you married him yet? He's a catch, handsome, successful, sexy accent and all. Better hurry, or I will snatch him!"

Gillian laughed, this woman was older than her mother. She handed the woman Cal's card. "Why don't you call him sometime and tell him to ask me already! That's all I'm waiting for." The older woman took the card and slipped it into her black clutch purse. "Or, call us if you need any consulting done, we can do that too!"

"Maybe I will dear. Cute picture on the cover, by the way!" With that, the old lady was off. Gillian pulled out her phone and texted Cal. She knew he wasn't reading these now, but he would be amused when he got them. **SO THAT'S THE 8****TH**** PERSON I'VE TLKED TO TONITE THAT THINKS WE'RE MARRIED.** She shook her head, and walked over to where Ria and Loker were standing. She greeted them both with a hug.

"I'm going to take a break from the networking for a few." She announced.

"Why? You are the most people friendly of us all. Go make some friends!" Loker teased.

"I'm sick of explaining to people that Cal and I aren't married, and then having them tell me what a catch he is. I know he's a catch, I've been dating him for over a year now." She crossed her arms, and leaned against the wall. She watched him and Ria exchange a glance that looked suspicious, but she couldn't read faces and couldn't tell why. "Don't tell me that the office has another pool going about how long our relationship will last!"

"Not exactly." Loker looked away, and Ria smacked him.

"Well, then what exactly?" Gillian was curious.

"We kind of have a pool as to exactly when Cal will propose." Ria answered, and grimaced, afraid that her newest friend would be angry at her. Gillian asked something unexpected. "So, can I get in on this? What dates are taken already?"

Loker spoke up first. "Well, I have today, Ria's chosen the Fourth of July…"

"How romantic would that be, to propose during the fireworks?" Ria interrupted. Gillian smiled at the thought.

"Emily has your birthday…" Loker continued but was interrupted again.

"Wait, Emily is in on this? You know she can sway her father." Gillian informed them.

"Yes, we know, that's why she has promised not to interfere about what date he chose. And we detect lies for a living, so when I ask her if she influenced this or not, I will know for sure." Loker explained. Gillian nodded, indicating that she understood. Suddenly, a younger woman came over to them, and wrapped her arm around Loker's waist. She had platinum blonde, stick straight hair that fell just below her shoulders. She was wearing a lavender pleated dress with black high heels. Loker looked a little flustered, but managed to introduce them all. "This is my girlfriend, Caroline. Carrie, this is Ria Torres, and Dr. Gillian Foster." She shook each of their hands as he introduced them all.

"You guys can call me Carrie, everyone else does. It's nice to meet you both, I have heard a lot about you both!" She appeared genuinely excited to meet Loker's co-workers.

"So then you obviously know what we do for a living, but what do you do?" Gillian asked, trying to start the conversation.

"I teach high school English. Actually, Emily used to be in my journalism class. She was a great writer, and an excellent student."

"Did you know that that's what Emily wants to pursue? She wants a degree in journalism." Carrie beamed with this information.

"I hadn't heard that! That's great, she'll be really good at it!"

"Hey, so maybe you two could join us at the bar sometime!" Ria spoke up, and Gillian laughed. "It will be like a weird Lightman party with two extra people!"

"I don't know if I want to hang out with a ton of people who can read my thoughts."

"Not your thoughts, just your face." The voice was unmistakable, especially with that British accent. Cal had snuck up behind Loker and Carrie, and had been listening. "Besides, we don't read Alex. We go dance and have a good time. You should join us! That way, I don't need to buy as many rounds." They all laughed. He walked up to Gillian and pecked her on the lips. "I got your messages, luv. You've been having fun tonight!"

She laughed. "Not so much, but I guess it could have been worse. What's up?"

"Well, the party is starting to die down, and they told me I was free to go. I was wondering if you were ready to go home."

Gillian nodded. "Yes, dear, I'm ready to go."

They said their goodbyes to the people they knew, and to the event coordinators. They found their car easily, thanks to the VIP parking spot, and began the drive home. Gillian's voice broke the silence first. "I've been thinking a lot and my heart is set on becoming a foster parent. I've been talking to Erin, and she thinks we would be a great fit."

"Okay, luv. What do we have to do?"

"There are home visits, and classes, and an application. I can get you more specific information later."

He nodded in agreement. "Okay. So this is how we start our family. I honestly can't wait, luv." He had pulled into their driveway, and stopped the car. He leaned over to her, put his hand on her face, and kissed her tenderly. She pulled away abruptly. "Why did you choose that particular picture of us to put on the cover?"

"Because, that was the first time I felt like we were a family. Like it had been that way from the start."

"That's crazy!" He laughed at her exclamation. "I felt like we were a family at the beach. It finally felt like I belonged somewhere, and that I wasn't just butting in on yours and Emily's lives."

"See, I don't count that because we weren't living together yet. That was when I asked you to live with me, very awkwardly." They both laughed at the memory. "The next big question I ask you needs to be well planned. None of this awkward bullocks."

"Well hurry up with this planning, I don't know if I can wait much longer." She teased him, then kissed him. "Come on, let's go to bed." He got out of the car, and opened her door for her. They made their way to the bedroom quickly, and were soon snuggled together as usual. Cal smiled as he felt Gillian relax completely, falling into a deep sleep. He had been planning, and something great was coming. She didn't have the slightest clue.

* * *

A/N: Please review! It makes me happy to see that people like these stories!


	20. Chapter 20

Gillian loved Sundays. Sundays meant no work, and she could sleep in. But this Sunday was the best. Today was Gillian's birthday. She could already smell the scrambled eggs by her bed, covered so they would stay warm. There was a glass of orange juice, and a vase of flowers. She felt spoiled already!

She got up and opened the window, letting the nice spring air in. It was fairly warm that morning for early May, best type of day for birthday festivities. She went back to bed, and ate the breakfast that Cal had slaved over. It was delicious, as usual. She relaxed a bit longer before deciding to start her day.

Gillian showered and allowed her hair to air dry, causing it to curl loosely and naturally at her shoulders. She put on the sundress the Cal had bought her at the beach, it was her favorite day off outfit. She headed downstairs. It seemed really quiet. "Cal" she called out, and heard no response. She walked through the living room, dining room, and the kitchen. He was nowhere to be found. "Well this is great. He's abandoned me." She said out loud. She saw copy of his book on the table. Blind spots. It had a picture of her and Emily on the cover, in their matching Christmas pajamas. She opened the cover to read the dedication that she already had memorized. In place of the dedication, there was a cream-colore piece of card stock with Cal's handwriting on it. _Good morning, my love, and happy birthday! I left something for you in the first place we met. Can you go find it?_ Gillian smiled. So this was the game he wanted to play? She would bite. There's just one problem. They met at her office at the Pentagon. This would be fun but it wouldn't necessarily be easy.

Gillian parked at the Pentagon city mall. She pulled out her phone and dialed the number she haven't dialed in a long time. A male voice picked up almost immediately.

"This is Dr. Bayers speaking. How can I help you?"

"Donovan? This is Dr. Gillian Foster calling."

"Gill! It's been too long, how are you?"

"I'm good. Listen, is there any chance we could meet today?"

"Sure. How long until you can get to me?"

"I'm actually already parked at the mall, so I can be there in a matter of minutes."

"Okay, great. I'll meet you where the visitors check in." Gillian heard the click, and knew he had hung up. Donovan had never been someone to talk on the phone. Gillian got out of the car and walked up towards the Pentagon.

Donovan Bayers had been her supervisor while she worked at the Pentagon. When she told him about her plan to partner with Cal he had given his blessing. He told her she needed to follow her heart, and if her heart told her to follow this science, she should go. They remained friends over the years, sharing stories and consulting on cases. She knew she could always count on him.

He greeted her outside the check in area with a hug. "How if you been?" He asked.

"Happy!" She replied, honestly. As he flashed his badge (he had escort privileges) she filled him in on everything she had been up to, including her relationship with Cal.

"So when I told you to follow your heart, you really listened." He teased.

"Yes I did. That's kind of why I'm here. Today's my birthday, and I woke up this morning to this." She showed him the note, and he smiled. "The Pentagon is where I first met him, in my old office."

"Well, someone else has your office now, but I think I can help." He pulled a cream-colored card out of the pocket on his shirt. "Cal contacted me on Facebook a few days ago and gave this to me this morning." He handed it to her. "I hope you have fun on your birthday scavenger hunt, Gill."

"Thank you, Donovan!" She hugged him tightly, and he walked her out of the building. As she walked back to her car, she read the next clue. _I know you love catching up with old friends! Like Erin! I bet she knows where to look next!_ Oh, he was having fun!

Gillian texted Erin to let her know she was on her way. She didn't want to surprise her and wake up Felix if he was napping. She drove quickly to her friend's house, eager to see her next clue. When Gillian pulled up in the driveway, Kiley ran through the door, crashing into Gillian's legs. Erin followed, carrying Felix with her. "Hey buddy! How are you?" Gillian cooed. He smiled, and acted shy, hiding his head in his mother's shoulder.

"Oh come on, you know Gill!" Erin giggled, tickling the infant. She then hugged Gillian with her free arm. "Happy birthday! I was going to tell you on facebook, but I thought it would be better to say in person."

"Wow, Cal's been planning this for a while!"

"Yep! I won't keep you long, I don't know how much more there is for you to do! Kiley, give the card to Gill!" Kiley proudly presented the card to Gillian, who hugged and thanked her. Erin hugged her again "Good luck!" To Kiley she said "Come on, in the house, its lunchtime!"

Gillian read her next clue. _You will find the next hint in your hiding place for comfy clothes. _Gillian hopped in her car and headed for the Lightman Group.

The next clue was easy. Resting on the top of the fuzzy slippers Emily got her was the next card. _Sarah and Sadie want to share a secret with you. _ Gillian smiled. She never needed an excuse to see her nieces!

The eight-year-olds rushed out of the house as soon as soon as they saw her, card weaving in hand. Sadie gave it to her. "Cal said this is for you. What does it say?"

Gillian hugged and thanked them before reading the card out loud. "The next clue can be found where we spend most Friday nights."

"What do you do on Friday nights?" Sarah asked

"Cal and I need some friends, and we go dancing!"

"I bet Cal is a bad dancer!" Sadie said

"Actually, he is really good! Remember dancing with him at the pizza house?" The girls laughed, remembering him dipping them and spinning them around. Gillian kissed them both. "I have to hurry, guys! My next clue is waiting!" They laughed and hugged her before running to the swing set. They waved as she drove away.

When she walked into the bar, she had no clue where to look. They didn't have a specific booth or anything like that, they usually just grabbed whatever was available. The bartender noticed the confused expression on her face, and beckoned her over.

"Aren't you usually here on Friday nights? You and the British guy?"

"Yes." Gillian answered. "Did he leave something here for me?"

The bartender disappeared for a minute, and returned with a cream colored card in his hand. Gillian thanked him profusely, and left. She read the card on the way out. _Remember the Christmas party, and your birthday party? The next clue is there. _ So, back to the Lightman Group she went.

When she walked up to that area, she really had to look. It wasn't with a person, there was no one in today for it to be with. She looked on tables and in drawers. When she finally spotted it, she felt triumphant. With the sunlight shining through the window, the paper taped to it almost blended in. _Now, you will find the next card with my other favorite girl in the world. _ Emily. Of course Emily was in on this. Gillian pulled out her phone and texted the girl. **WHERE R U**?

The response was quick. ** MCDONALDS WITH ADAM AND BRAD. THE 1 NEAR THE SCHOOL. **

So Gillian went to McDonald's. They were easy to spot, sitting right by the window. Emily waived. Adam was feeding the 18-month-old bits of chicken and fries. Gillian sat down next to Emily. "Having fun?" The young woman asked.

"Loads!" Gillian answered honestly, "But your dad had better reimburse me for gas!" They both laughed

"I think he will. Just enjoy yourself!" She pushed the cream colored card towards Gillian. "Here you go!" Gillian picked it up and read it on the spot. _Remember our anniversary? That's real find your next clue. _"Well at least that one is close!" Gillian hugged Emily and left. As soon as she had, Emily sent out a massive group text. **SHES ALMST DONE, GET INTO POSITION!** She then got up.

"Sorry, Adam, I have to go."

"That's okay, babe. Have fun." They kissed goodbye, and she was on her way.

It was going to be sunset soon, which meant Gillian had to find the note quick. She walked over to the gymnasium and checked all the doors as she walked counterclockwise around the entire building. It had to be on the outside of the gym, it was Sunday, and no one would be here. Of course, it was on the last possible door she would check, taped to the blue, metal door. _Now remember that place, when we first ask each other those awkward questions? That's where you will find the last clue_. Finally it was almost ending. She walked back to her car and drove to Panera.

When she got there, she first walked over to the booth where she had seen Cal sitting by himself. She remembered feeling so awkward and out of place with him at first. But that was before she knew his true feelings. There was no one in the booth, but no notes either. She looked everywhere. She finally went up to the counter. "Excuse me." The woman at the counter looked at her. "Did a British man leave any notes here that look like this?" She held up one of the clues, and the woman smiled.

"Are you Gillian?"

"Yes. Sorry to bother you. Can I have it please?" The woman left and returned with it quickly.

"Here you go! Enjoy your night!" She smiled at Gillian.

"You too." Gillian replied. She read her clue. _Remember the mine collapse that I investigated, and you got drunk on my expensive scotch? You will find me where I found you._ Back to the Lightman Group. He seriously owed her for gas.

It was getting darker as the sun was setting. She made her way to the balcony, where Cal was waiting. She was surprised to see that other people are waiting too. Her family including her mother, Erin and her kids, Emily, and all the Lightman Group employees. They all stood behind Cal, who was waiting for her with open arms. He embraced her. "Happy birthday, luv."

"Thank you, Cal! I had fun today!"

"Good. Listen Gill, there's something I have to say." She swallowed. "No luv, nothing bad, nothing to worry about." He watched her shoulders relax. He looked her in the eye. "I have loved you for years, Gill. Seriously! But why a stunning woman like you would ever fall for me is far beyond my understanding. I love how you make me try new things. I love slow dancing with you, and serenading you. I love that being with you makes me try harder to make you happy, making me a better partner. I love that you love my daughter with all your heart. And I want to keep loving everything you do." He got down on one knee, and pulled out of velvet box. Gillian began to cry. "Gillian luv, will you marry me?"

She sobbed. "Yes!" He leapt up and kissed her, and everyone cheered. He put the ring on her finger and it fit perfectly. There was one large diamond. The golden band wrapped around the diamond, one edge starting on the bottom, wrapping around her finger, and ending at the top of the diamond. Simple, yet elegant. She was sobbing uncontrollably. She didn't think she could be any happier than she was at that moment.

* * *

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Because I am not very good at describing rings, this is where you can find a picture of Gillian's ring. Just put a period where the space is. please review!

onweddingrings com/2013/12/admirably-gold-engagement-rings/gold-engagement-rings-contemporary-solitaire/


	21. Chapter 21

Later that night, she sat on their bed admiring the new piece of jewelry around her finger. She was in one of Cal's t-shirts and her underwear, waiting for him to return from refilling her gas tank. He had laughed when she requested it, but did so without a complaint. She heard her phone buzzing on the table next to her and grabbed it. It was from Emily. **WERE U SURPRISED?** She laughed to herself. **YES. IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, YOU WIN THE POOL!**

The response was quick. **YOU KNEW ABOUT THE POOL?**

**YES, RIA AND ELI FILLED ME IN ABOUT A MONTH AGO.**

**LOL WELL ITS NOT A LOT OF MONEY BUT IT'S A NICE EARLY GRADUATION PRESENT FOR ME!** Gillian laughed out loud at the teen. Graduation was coming in about a month, which meant a party and prom, and then she would be gone, across the country to get her degree. It was strange. Gillian owed her entire life as it was to this girl, and she would be leaving soon. It broke her heart. She had an idea, and sent out another message quick. **SO I NEED A WEDDING DRESS AND YOU NEED A PROM DRESS. WANT TO COME SHOPPING WITH ME THIS WEEKEND?**

The response was quick. **OF COURSE! SAT NOON?**

**SOUNDS PERFECT!** Gillian heard the front door opening and closing. Cal was home, which was good, they had some planning to do.

When Cal opened the door, he saw his new fiancée tapping away fast at the keys on her laptop. "Well, your tank is full, and I put air in the tires, the low pressure light was on."

She looked up when he spoke and smiled. "Thank you, Cal." She looked back to her computer. Cal changed into his pajamas and climbed onto his side of the bed. He looked at what she was working on. She was looking up color schemes for weddings. He laughed out loud when he realized what she was up to. "You started planning fast!" He joked.

"I'm not planning! Just brainstorming, that's all!" she replied defensively. Cal got out of bed and left the room. When he came back, Gillian was surprised to see him with a yellow legal pad. She didn't even know that they had any of those. He climbed back into bed, and he labeled the top of the pad in his now extremely familiar handwriting. _Wedding Plans._

"Well then, what are you thinking for a date?" he asked, writing _Date:_ centered underneath the title.

"Well, I've always wanted a fall wedding, but I don't want to wait a year and a half to call you my husband." She answered.

"So, how about November then?" He asked, and she laughed. She laughed until she realized that he wasn't laughing with her, he was serious.

"Cal, you realize that November is six months away, right?" She looked concerned as she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Yes. But people have planned a wedding in less time, so I think we can do this. I want you to have your fall wedding, and I don't want to wait."

"Cal, don't forget, Emily is going to be at school in the fall. We can do a wedding in June. It's okay."

"She won't be in school for Thanksgiving. We can do it when she's home for that." He countered.

"Cal! We can't get married on Thanksgiving, everyone already has plans!"

"I know that! So we can do it the day after! Emily will still be here, and we can enjoy her for another day after that before she heads back to California, and we head off on our honeymoon. I think that's the perfect time to do this."

Gillian knew that she couldn't budge him from his ideas once he got started. "Okay. Go ahead, write it down and make it official." Next to the word Date, he wrote _November 23, 2012_. Gillian had the next question. "Cal, where are we going to do this?"

"Loker said we could use his backyard. I guess it's huge and flat, with a gazebo and everything. I told him we would have to check it out first, but it seems like a really great and cheap option."

Gillian nodded. "Okay, but only if it really is as nice as he described it to you. What about tables, chairs, food and a cake?" She started frantically tapping the keys on her keyboard again. Cal slowly grabbed her hands and pulled them toward him, away from the computer.

"Calm down, luv. We can rent the tables and chairs, and caterers and cake makers aren't usually that hard to find. Do you have any ideas for colors?" He asked her to try and get her mind off the other questions.

"I was thinking like a reddish-orange, brown and green. So we can make bouquets out of red and orange flowers tied with brown ribbons, and my bridesmaids can wear green dresses."

"I think that's great." He kissed her forehead.

She was almost afraid to ask her question, afraid that they had the same person in mind. "Who do you want to be your best man?"

He thought for a moment before answering. "Probably my brother, George. I was his best man, and I'm sure he would return the favor. If he can't than Nick. We have grown close, you know."

Gillian sighed with relief. "I thought you might say Emily."

"I thought about it, but I would rather have someone I see as a brother. I know that Emily will be a big part of our wedding no matter what."

"Actually, I wanted to ask her to be my maid of honor. I owe this whole relationship to her, and I want to repay her somehow." Cal beamed with delight, as he wrote down all of the details on the legal pad.

"When are you going to ask her?"

"Well, we are going dress shopping on Saturday, so probably then." Cal took the pad and pen and placed them on the nightstand on his side of the bed. He also took Gillian's laptop and placed it on top of the legal pad.

"Let's go to sleep. I'm exhausted, and we have to work tomorrow." He grabbed her and dragged her under the covers. They settled into their favorite pose, her back against his chest, with his arms wrapped around her. They snuggled close, and tangled their legs together.

"Alright." She answered, wrapped in his cocoon. "But tomorrow we need to figure more stuff out. This is coming up quick." Soon she had relaxed, and they both fell asleep.

* * *

It was 11:30 when Emily arrived at her dad and Gill's house. She was really excited for dress shopping with Gillian, she had put off getting a prom dress for way too long. She walked through the front door. "Hey guys, I'm home." She called out.

"I'm upstairs, just a minute." Came Gillian's response. Emily grabbed herself a glass of water and sat at the table to wait. On the table was a copy of her dad's book. She had her own copy, but hadn't read it yet. She loved the dedication, and Gillian assured her the rest of the book was just as good. Within minutes, Gillian strolled downstairs. She was wearing jeans and a brown T-shirt, a sight that wasn't common. In fact, Emily didn't think she'd ever seen Gillian in jeans.

"Ready to go?" Gillian asked.

"I've been ready since last week!" Emily hopped up from the seat and walked towards the door. Gillian followed. Emily hopped in the passenger seat of Gillian's car and turned on the radio.

"So where we going? Ria and Erin are meeting us at a shop in Virginia at three, so that gives us three hours to try to find you the perfect prom dress. Where would you like to shop?" Gillian wanted to make sure Emily was aware of the plan before they left so she would know how much time they had.

"Let's go to the mall. There's a few shops there that have some nice prom dresses I would like to look at. We can get food, and then head to the dress shop!" Gillian pulled out of the driveway and drove in the general direction of the mall, it sounded like a good enough plan.

Gillian arrived at the mall, and parked the car in the parking garage. The two walked together toward the entrance of the mall, Emily chattering about Adam and Brad, and Gillian listening intently. They had just happened to park closest to the food court. The smells were beckoning them closer and closer to the counter. Gillian caved first. "Okay, I'm starving, can we eat before we pick out your prom dress?"

"Yes! I think that's brilliant! I want Chinese, care to join me?"

"Oh, that place is my favorite!" The women laughed and went to stand in line for their sweet and sour chicken and lo mein. They found a table and dug in, relishing the savory taste of the chicken. They ate relatively quietly, and quickly because of their time constraints. But Gillian was the one to break the silence again. "Em, I have a somewhat serious question for you."

Emily looked up, concerned. "What's wrong, what did I do?"

Gillian laughed. "Nothing! You did nothing wrong, trust me!" She watched the younger woman's shoulders relax, and smiled. "I want to start by thanking you. Thank you for meddling in my life, because I never would have found your father. We would have kept missing each other's cues for life, and it would have been too late before we realized it. I can't imagine my life any other way right now." She watched as Emily beamed with pride, it exploded from every pore in her body. "Without you, my life would be so boring right now. I am happier than I have ever been. So, I would like to ask you to share in the happiest day of my life, and be my maid of honor. Is that okay?"

Emily jumped out of her seat, grinning from ear to ear. "Are you serious right now, Gill? Please, tell me you're not joking."

"I'm not joking."

Emily ran around the table and practically knocked Gillian out of her chair with a hug that was so tight. "Of course I will!" They both laughed together, as they finished their noodles and started toward the first shop that Emily wanted to look at.

"Okay, so how does this work?" Gillian asked, looking around at all the dresses. "I haven't done this ever, my Mom made my prom dress."

Emily walked around, looking at the racks. "I am a size 6, and I like dresses that aren't to poufy, and that have straps. I like the colors red, yellow, and purple. So if you see a dress that you think I might like to try on, give it to me and I will." Gillian nodded in understanding. "And also, don't let me turn anything down. I have learned that it's usually the clothes that I don't want to try at first that I end up loving later. So if I'm not sure, make sure I at least try it."

Gillian felt a bit overwhelmed. The way Emily had described it, any dress in the store was fair game. Where to begin? She started by focusing on the three colors Emily had given her. If it was featured prominently in the gown, she grabbed it. She had about ten dresses in her hands, and Emily had about five. Emily went into a dressing room to change. A few minutes later, she came out in the first dress. It was red, and silky. The spaghetti straps attached to a ruffled bodice, and the skirt was long and thin like a maxi dress. "You look beautiful!"

"Thanks." Came the reply. She regarded herself in the mirror, and Gillian just knew it.

"You're not crazy about it."

The teen nodded. "I can't tell you why, but not really. It's a gorgeous dress though. I'll try another." She went back into her dressing room, trying them each on, and had narrowed it down to three possibles with four dresses left to try on. But Gillian knew they were done when she tried on the next dress.

Emily came out of the dressing room beaming. She was wearing a bright yellow dress that reached all the way down to her feet. The bodice was fitted snugly, and the straps were covered in jewels and wrapped around her neck like a halter. The skirt was loose and it flowed, and it wasn't poufy. The color and her skin tone matched perfectly.

"That's it. That's the dress."

Emily nodded. "I don't even want to try the last three on, I just want to take this home."

"Well, for what it's worth, you look positively radiant." Emily beamed. "Well, then hurry up! It's two o'clock, and we have other places to be!" Emily laughed at Gillian's statement and headed back into her dressing room to change into her clothes again. She went to the counter to check out while Gillian waited patiently at the door. They walked out to the car together.

While Gillian drove to the little shop in Virginia, Emily spoke up. "Thank you for coming with me. I'm glad I got to experience that with you."

Gillian smiled. "Anytime, Em."

Emily looked straight ahead. "It's just not fair. I mean, you take more interest in me than my own mother sometimes. I know that she loves me, don't get me wrong, but she never offered to go shopping with me, let alone to carpool with me. She would have told me she would meet me there, and come whenever she felt like it." She sighed. "I just think it's unfair that people like her can have kids, and people like you can't." She looked over at Gillian's face, to see how this was affecting her. Gillian looked forlorn, and Emily regretted bringing it up.

They were quiet for a while. "You're right, it sucks." Gillian finally said. "I care for you like a daughter, and we have a very unique bond. I've wanted kids my whole life, and it just isn't in the cards for me. This isn't how we planned on bringing this up." Emily looked at Gillian, confused. "There are plenty of children out there that are in really bad situations. I hear from Erin about all the shit living conditions they pull kids out of every day." Emily had never heard Gillian swear before. Gillian took a breath and continued. "I just don't understand how someone could mistreat a person like that. A precious, tiny life. It breaks my heart, because I know I could do so much better for them. So, your father and I have seriously discussed becoming foster parents." Emily grabbed Gillian's hand and squeezed it in support. "We want to give kids a safe place, even if it is only for a short time, because we want to try and make a small difference. And who knows, some of them might stay!"

Emily laughed. "I think that's a great idea. Who better to show them love than you two?" They had pulled up to a small boutique, and parked nearby.

"Okay." Said Gillian, changing the subject. "We need to try and find three bridesmaid dresses and one bride dress today. We have a time crunch, the wedding is in six months. So, let's go!" They laughed and got out of the car, heading into the shop, and waiting for their friends.


	22. Chapter 22

Gillian was always on time. In fact, Cal often joked about how she had to be fifteen minutes early for everything. So when they arrived at the dress shop ten minutes late, they were surprised no one was waiting for them. "I shouldn't be surprised." Gillian stated. They were seated on a couch in the front of the store, waiting for the other two women to arrive.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, confused.

"I mean, Erin has a four year old and a nine month old, so I shouldn't be surprised that she is late, and Ria is routinely late for work." They laughed together. Ria was the first to arrive. She was wearing skinny jeans and a tightly brown t-shirt with long silver necklaces. She waved at them. "Hi Gill, hey Emily, what's up?" She joined them on the couch.

"Not much. We are just waiting on Erin." Gillian answered.

"Great. How about you, Emily?"

"Just a ton of studying. I have finals soon."

"But see, you've already been accepted to your college, right?" Emily nodded. "So then you don't need to worry that much. I mean, it's not like you suddenly won't get in."

Emily laughed. "I guess I never thought of it that way! But I still want to do well, for me." Ria nodded, she understood the teens need to do well.

"Did you guys find a prom dress?"

"Yes!" Emily pulled out her phone to show Ria the picture of herself she had snapped in the dressing room mirror.

"Oh, Emily, that looks great! Seriously, that color rocks on you!" Ria complimented.

Emily just grinned. "I sent a picture of it to Adam already so that he can match. Samantha's parents are taking Brad for the night so both she and Adam can go to the prom without worrying about splitting time with each other."

"That's really nice of them." Gillian remarked. At that moment, Erin came rushing through the door. She had pulled her long blonde hair into a messy bun. She was wearing jeans and a very loosely fitting Carolina Panthers t-shirt. "Sorry guys. I was trying to get Felix down for his nap before I left. He screams bloody murder if I leave when he is awake."

"That's fine!" Gillian said as she stood up to hug her oldest friend. "I get it, you never need to explain yourself to me!"

Erin returned the hug and smiled. "This time next year you may have your own little distraction!"

Gillian laughed. "Fingers crossed! Now let's get looking at dresses. We have 6 months, people!"

"Well, what are we looking at first?" Emily asked. "If we all go running in different directions, it could take us way too long to do this."

"How about you each find a dress that you like. We are looking for green dresses with a pop of brown on it somewhere. I want to find them today, because I'm worried we may not get them in time if we have to order them." Gillian answered.

A woman came over. Her blonde hair was up in a tight bun. She was wearing a white blouse and a black pencil skirt. "Hello, ladies! My name is Claire. Can I help you find anything today?"

"We are wedding and bridesmaid dress shopping today. The wedding is in November, so we want to find stuff off the rack, because ordering might take a while." Gillian answered.

"Great! Sounds like you have a plan. Who is the bride?"

Gillian raised her hand. "That would be me! Hi, I'm Gillian." She and Claire shook hands.

"Well, congratulations! So what are we starting with?"

"Bridesmaid dresses." Gillian answered. She saw something suddenly and ran toward it. It was a long flowing green dress. "This is exactly the colors I am looking for. This green looks like the stem of a flower. That's what I want you guys to find. If it doesn't have any brown, that's okay, we can always get some ribbon and add it ourselves." The three women nodded, understanding. Gillian plucked that dress off the rack and looked at the size. "Size six. Here you go Em, try this on!" She thrust it toward the teen.

Emily laughed. "Yes, Ma'am!" She took it and continued walking around, searching for other dresses. Meanwhile, Claire walked over to get more information from Gillian. "So, when is the actual date?"

"November 23rd. It's supposed to be an outdoor wedding, but I'm worried it will be too cold so close to December."

"That's right after Thanksgiving, correct? Why that date?"

Gillian pointed at Emily. "That is my maid of honor, and soon to be Step-daughter. She is going to college in California next year. I wanted a fall wedding, and that was the only time in the fall she would be here for it."

Claire nodded. "That's great! Good for her!" Her smile was genuine. "I have a few years before I have to send any kids off to school. Do you have any other kids?"

"Nope. Emily is great, though. She is the mastermind that got her father and I together in the first place." Gillian smiled. She watched her friends as they each took 3-5 gowns each into the dressing rooms to try on.

"About their dresses. We may need to order them if you want everybody to match."

Gillian shook her head. "I'm not worried about all the dresses being the same style, I want them to feel comfortable. Ria likes tighter dresses, Erin likes ones that flow, and I'm not really sure what Emily likes. I just want to make sure all the colors are right." Claire nodded, seeming to understand. "I'm going to head over toward the dressing rooms so I can see what they like." Gillian walked over to the dressing rooms just as Erin came out.

"Gill, this was the only one that I found that really fits me." It went down to the floor. It had spaghetti straps, and was flat across her chest. The bodice itself was plain, but under the brown sash that tied in the back, there were ruffles that went down the skirt in tiers.

"I think it looks great!" Gillian told her friend honestly. "What do you think?"

"I like it. It fits nice and isn't too revealing."

"Great! You found your dress!" They hugged.

"I'm going to change back into my regular clothes, now. One dress down, three to go!" Erin disappeared back into her dressing room, and Gillian laughed.

Ria came out next. "I love this dress!" It also had spaghetti straps. The top was a slight V-neck that showed off her cleavage in a subtle way. The dress was ruched, and hugged her curves tightly, until about a quarter of the way down her thighs. Then, the skirt flowed freely down to her feet. The brown sash tied in a bow on the front left side of her body.

"Ria, you look fantastic! I love that dress too!" Erin came out of her dressing room with her dress in hand. Gillian beckoned her over. She compared the two side by side. "The greens look so close, I can barely tell the difference. Ria, your sash is a bit lighter, but I don't think anyone will notice or care. I think that works perfectly!"

Emily spoke up, still in her dressing room. "Gill, I don't know why I even bothered looking." She opened her door. Her dress was strapless. There wasn't any ruching or jewels on it, it was very simple. The top was flat against her chest. The sash tied around her front in a floppy bow. The skirt then fell to her feet, and it flowed, almost like the skirts Gillian had seen in Greek goddess costumes.

"You look beautiful! Simple, but elegant. It's lovely, Em!"

"It's the one you gave me to try, the first one you pulled off the rack. I didn't want to try it because it's strapless, so it was the last one I did. I shouldn't have even bothered looking at others!" All the women started laughing.

"Alright!" Gillian laughed. "You two should change into regular clothes. Then, you need to start throwing dresses at me!" Ria and Emily obliged, heading back into their respective rooms to change. At this point, Claire came over again.

"Okay, so what type of dresses do you like?"

"I tend to prefer straps, but I am open to strapless. No particular type, halter, spaghetti, I just tend to like them. And I'm not too keen on big dresses, you know, like the gigantic princess dresses. And I like for it to look fancy, so crystals and lace are never a problem! I usually fit in anything from a size eight to ten, but I know that can easily fluctuate here."

Emily and Ria had joined them at that point. "Alright. Well in that corner there, we have all our bigger dresses, so avoid that. But everything else is fair game!" Clair told them.

"So, are we just grabbing dresses that we want you to try?" Ria asked.

"Pretty much!" Gillian responded as she tied her hair up into a ponytail. The women all left her, each running to a different corner of the store to look at dresses. Gillian laughed to herself. This would be fun. She went over to where Ria was first. Ria was looking at anything that she could find with ruffles.

"I don't know, I've always imagined you getting married in a dress with crazy ruffles!" The woman told Gillian.

"Have you really?" Gillian responded, laughing. "I didn't realize you imagined my wedding often!"

"Just over the past couple of months! I knew it was coming, though. Ever since that first Friday night we spent together, I knew you two would get married eventually!"

Gillian smiled and hugged her newest friend. She then walked over to where Erin was looking. Erin seemed to be contemplating things more. She would hold it up, study it, and then decide what to do with it. She was startled by Gillian behind her. "You scared me!"

"I didn't mean too! You aren't all here, your mind keeps drifting." Gillian referred to the faraway look Erin had on her face when studying the gown.

"Well, I am looking at the gown and trying to picture you in it. If it's not 'you' then it needs to go back on the rack. Like this one, see." She held up a dress that had lace straps. "I can picture you in this. It's not overly poufy, and you have always liked the classic look of lace. So this goes in my 'Gillian needs to try this' pile." They laughed together.

"Well whatever works. I'll let you get back to your thoughts." Lastly she walked over to Emily. Emily had the most eclectic array of gowns assembled. Some were plain and some were almost too much. Gillian laughed as she watched the young woman revise her pile by getting rid of stuff and then coming back with more. "Is there a method to the madness over here?"

"Not really" Emily answered. "I just kind of grab stuff I like. But then I think, 'I like that one more than this one' and change the whole thing."

Gillian laughed some more. "Well, take your time, it looks like Ria has four dresses for me to try, and Erin's not done looking yet." Ria was standing by the dressing room, waiting patiently, and Erin was looking at a dress, lost in thought. "I won't start without everyone, no worries. And don't rush!" She left and walked toward where Ria was standing. She took the gowns from Ria and hung them on one of three hooks, one for each pile of dresses from her friends. She arranged them on the hook according to what order she wanted to try them on. Emily came in with her pile next, she had four dresses as well. Gillian arranged these on the hook as well while Emily took a seat on the couch next to Ria. Erin came in a bit later with three dresses. Gillian just placed them on the hook and closed the door. "Let the madness begin!"

On the couch, the three women sat awkwardly. They had all met before, but for Emily and Ria, this was a different setting than either of them had been in before, and Erin didn't really know either of them that well at all.

"So, Emily, Gill tells me you are going to school in California." Erin started.

"Yes. San Jose State University for journalism."

"That's nice. What kind of journalism?"

"I really want to do print articles, and I like writing thought provoking pieces. I have been doing some freelance writing now, and people seem to really like it." Emily answered, obviously excited.

"Are you afraid to be so far away from home?"

"Not really. I can Skype both of my parents, and I've already talked extensively with my roommate who is from the area. She plans on giving me a tour as soon as I arrive, and her family is letting me stay with them for a few days before we actually move in."

"That's really nice!" As Erin said that, the dressing room door opened with Gillian wearing dress number one. It was ruffled in the bodice, but the skirt was draped. It was strapless and hugged her curves beautifully.

"Gill, you look amazing!" Ria cried.

Gillian smiled. "Thanks, but I'm just not crazy about it. It is beautiful, don't get me wrong. I'm just not sure."

"That's okay! Keep trying!" Emily responded. Gillian headed back into her dressing room to try another dress. The women continued chatting on the couch.

"How are Kiley and Felix doing?" Emily asked.

"They're great, thanks for asking. Ria, do you have kids?"

"No, I don't." Ria replied. "I want them eventually, but I want to wait a few more years. I would like to enjoy Alex while I can!" Erin and Ria laughed. "What about you Em, how are things with Adam and Brad?"

"Pretty good. Adam and I are enjoying each other while we can, he can't really pack up his things and move with me to California."

"So what's the plan?" Ria asked.

"We want to enjoy each other while it lasts. We don't want to force the long distance thing, neither one of us thinks it's fair. But for now, we want to just be happy together." And so the conversation went. Every once in a while, Gillian would come out with a different gown on, and she wasn't really loving any of them. They all assured her to keep trying, and they kept talking. When Gillian came out with gown number ten, she felt like crying.

"This isn't it either. Guys, what if this takes forever?"

Erin jumped to the rescue quickly. "Do you remember how many gown shops I had to go to before I found my perfect dress? Gill, this is only store number one, we can go shopping again next weekend if we have to. Don't feel pressure to buy the dress today." She hugged Gillian, and patted her back. "Now try on that last dress quickly so we can go! I'm starving!" They all laughed, and Gillian went back into her dressing room. They started talking about food, and where they wanted to go to eat for dinner. The conversation stopped when Gillian came out in the last dress.

It was the one that Erin had held up when she was explaining her process to Gillian. It had a mermaid skirt and a long train. There was a jewel encrusted waistband. The jewel and lace neckline was high up on Gillian's chest. The straps met more lace in the back, with more jewels, and the dress buttoned up. Gillian was in tears. "This is it. This is my dress" She cried, and her friends cheered.

"You look amazing in it!" Emily said.

"I told you it was 'you'!" Erin enthused.

"Yes you did!" Gillian agreed. "Now, listen. I heared you guys talking about food. So I'm going to change, buy my dress, and I want in. I trust you three to decide where to eat!" They all laughed as she disappeared again, looking happier than ever.

* * *

A/N This is Gillian's dress if anyone is interested, just replace the spaces with periods. Don't forget the period before html at the end!

www rainingblossoms com/all-bridal-gowns/5054-lace-jewel-neckline-mermaid-wedding-dress-with-beaded-waistband html


	23. Chapter 23

Gillian knocked on Emily's door. "Can I come in?" She heard some faint rustling, and the door opened in front of her. Emily was dressed in her prom gown and a pair of strappy silver high heels. Gillian entered the room and closed the door behind her. "How can I help?"

Emily sat in front of the vanity. "Can you curl the bottom half of my hair while I put on my makeup?" She had pulled half of her hair into a bun, and the rest of her hair was brushed and lying flat against her back.

Gillian began taking down the teen's hair. "I have a better idea. I'll curl all of it, and we'll put this in." Gillian pulled out a stretch comb. It had yellow and black beads.

Emily smiled. "It's perfect! I've been searching all over for one of those!"

"I know, I follow you on Facebook! When I saw you post about it I went searching in my old accessories!" She had begun curling Emily's hair bit by bit. Her hair was naturally curly, so she didn't have to do much, she just made them more pronounced.

Emily met Gillian's eyes in the mirror. "Thank you." She said. Gillian didn't need to be able to read faces to see the gratification all over Emily's face.

Gillian continued to work on Emily's long hair. "What time is Adam coming?" She asked.

"He is picking me up at five, so he should be here soon for pictures." Emily answered. She puckered her lips and put on some red lipstick.

"What time will you two be home?"

"Around five in the morning." Gillian looked up, appalled, and Emily laughed at her face in the mirror. "Look at you, going into mom mode on me! Don't worry! There is a school sponsored after prom party nearby. They check bags and everything! My Mom signed a permission slip, and both she and Dad will get texts when I arrive at the party and when I leave." Gillian relaxed and laughed. She had never gone into, as the teen said, mom mode like that before.

"I'm sorry. You are an adult, I shouldn't worry." Gillian pulled the hair out of Emily's face with the stretch comb. Her hair looked perfect.

Emily turned around to face Gillian. "No, don't apologize. It means you care about me, and I like that." She leaned forward and hugged Gillian tightly. "Thank you for everything."

Gillian hugged her back. _No, thank you._ She thought to herself. "Alright, I'll go downstairs and wait with your father. He is awaiting the big reveal!" Gillian hopped up and walked out of the room. She headed downstairs and found Adam waiting.

"Thank God!" he exclaimed when he saw Gillian walk into the room.

She shot Cal a look. "Have you been terrorizing this young man?" She asked. Cal gave her a sheepish grin, and she smacked his arm. "Stop that!" She turned to Adam. "I know you've only met him a few times, but trust me, his bark is way worse than his bite. Whatever he told you, ignore it. Emily looks beautiful and you guys will have fun."

Cal spoke up. "Sorry, mate. Didn't mean to frighten you." He held out his hand to shake Adam's.

"With all due respect, sir, you absolutely meant to frighten me." Gillian held back her giggle as they shook hands. That was when Emily's door opened upstairs, and they all looked up in anticipation.

Gillian, of course, already knew what to expect, and she smiled as she watched the jaws of both men drop. Emily looked amazing in her bright yellow dress. It complemented her skin tone brilliantly, and she looked amazing in it. Her shoes were silver, but the rest of her accessories were black, including the little rhinestone studded clutch that she held in her hand.

"Wow. You look amazing, babe." Adam finally had managed to speak.

Cal stood up and walked over to his daughter, giving her a huge hug. "You look gorgeous, Em." He said as he kissed her head.

She smiled. "Thanks, guys! Are Mom and Tony here yet?" She asked.

"Not yet, but they should be soon. Your Mom texted me about ten minutes ago, to tell me they were on their way." Cal answered. Emily had gotten ready at her Dad's house for a few reasons. First, it's where her dress was located. Also, her Dad's house was closer to the venue for the prom. Also, the backyard was nicer for pictures. Emily sat down on the couch next to Adam, who hadn't stopped staring at her. Cal grilled her about the after prom party, and warned her he would know if she was late or left early, making Adam look more and more nervous.

"Dad, I know. You don't need to worry about anything." She replied. When the doorbell rang, she threw herself back against the couch, relaxing. "Saved by the bell!" she exclaimed. Gillian got up to open the door for Zoe and Tony.

They really were a sight to be seen. Tony was wearing ripped jeans and a shirt with paint stains all over it. Zoe was dressed in her typical grey pantsuit and closed toe black dress shoes. You never would have put the two of them together.

"Hi! Come one in!" Gillian said with a fake smile as she beckoned them into her home. Zoe had an equally fake smile plastered on to her face. The two women still had their differences, and avoided each other like the plague, which made situations like these extremely awkward.

Gillian led the two into the living room. Emily stood up and gave her mother a hug. "Emily, you look beautiful!" Zoe exclaimed.

"Thanks, Mom!" Emily answered. She moved toward the patio door. "Is it time for pictures now?" She asked. Everyone laughed and moved outside with her. She was very eager.

Once outside, Emily and Adam posed near a tree in the shade. Gillian took some great photos of them on her phone. "Adam, are your parents coming?" Gillian asked.

"Nope, they are going straight to the venue to take pictures there." He answered. He beckoned toward Cal and Zoe. "She should get some pictures with you guys." On cue, Cal and Zoe stepped forward to take some pictures with their daughter, then just Zoe, and last, just Cal. Cal and Gillian were both still in their work clothes, so at least he and Zoe looked nice together and cohesive.

"Gill, get in here!" Emily said when she was getting pictures with just her Dad. Gillian looked at Zoe, who looked a little hurt.

She handed her phone to Tony. "Do you mind?" She asked.

"Anything for you." He said, as he took the phone. They snapped a few photos together, and Gillian grabbed the phone back from Tony. "Do you want to get a picture with Em and Zoe?" Gillian asked.

"Sure!" Tony looked happy to be included as he grabbed Zoe's hands and dragged her back toward her daughter. Gillian took pictures of them on Zoe's phone.

"Gill, do you mind if I get one with just you?" Emily asked.

Gillian couldn't say no when Emily looked at her with those big brown eyes. "I would love one with just you!" Gillian replied. She handed her phone to Cal, who took pictures of the two of them. It started out normal, but he started lowering himself to the ground, or taking pictures from multiple angles.

"Cal!" Gillian laughed. "This is why I never give you the camera!" She wrestled her phone from his hands, while Adam and Emily laughed along. Zoe stood away from them, arms crossed with her head tilted to the side. She bit the corner of her cheek as she watched the scene in front of her.

"Alright." Zoe announced, "We have to go. Goodbye honey, have fun." She walked over and kissed Emily on the cheek.

"We should probably get going too." Emily stated. She hugged her father and Gillian. "Thanks for letting me get ready here." She said.

"Anytime, luv. It's your house too." Cal answered. He hugged his daughter tighter. Both him and Gillian stood back and waved as their guests left. Cal looked at his watch. "Oy! Gill, we've got to go!"

She looked at him, confused. "Where do we need to go?" She asked him.

He grinned. "What, I didn't tell you? Oh well, then. I know what to get you for a wedding gift."

"What, the ring wasn't enough?" She asked, sarcastically.

"That's an engagement gift. Come on, then. We have to go." With that, he started walking up toward their car. Gillian followed him, still confused. Cal was waiting for her on the passenger side of the car, with the door already opened. Gillian got in and buckled her seatbelt. Cal hopped in the driver's side, and pulled a small scrap of paper out of his pocket. He typed the address into the GPS, and pulled out of their driveway. He grabbed her hand and held it in his lap.

Gillian knew he wouldn't tell her what was up until he got there. "How are you doing?" she asked him, breaking the silence.

"Okay, how are you?" he asked, jokingly, and Gillian laughed.

"No, I mean about the whole prom thing? You know Graduation is next week, right? How are you doing?" She clarified.

"Alright, I guess. I don't know, it just hit me today. Seeing her in that dress, she really looked like a grown up." He sighed. "And I don't trust that boy." He added, finally.

"Why don't you trust him? Is it because he has a kid?" Cal shook his head. "Is it because you saw something in his face?"

"No! He's brutally honest. He has no intentions to do anything to her."

"Then what is it?" Gillian asked, curious.

"I just don't trust any boy that she dates. She's a pretty girl, Gill. I know what teenage boys think about pretty girls. It's all rude, and I don't like that he is thinking those things about my pretty girl." He answered.

Gillian was quiet for a while. "You know, you can't police his thoughts. You just have to trust that he won't act on his impulses. I think he learned his lesson the last time he did that." Cal nodded. "I mean. He is a great father. He really is! But I don't think he wants to have to do that with another kid, and another girl. The poor boy wouldn't have a life."

"You're right." Cal acknowledged. "But I'm still not going to trust him."

"What were you telling him when I came down anyway?" Gillian asked.

"Some exaggerated stories of my days with the MI6." He answered, truthfully. Gillian smacked his shoulder and laughed. "Yeah, it was fun watching the different expressions change on his face!" He laughed. He pulled into the driveway of a house Gillian didn't recognize. It was white with red shutters, and smaller than theirs. He pulled to one side of the driveway and parked.

"Come on, luv, get out. We're late." He said to her as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He got out and ran around to her side, opening the door for her.

"Cal, whose house is this?" He ignored her and walked up to the front door. When he got there, he turned around, and waved his hand in a circle, telling her to hurry up. When she met up with him, he rang the doorbell.

A middle aged man answered. Cal stuck out his hand. "Hello. I'm Cal Lightman, We talked on the phone?"

The man smiled, and shook Cal's hand back. "Ah, yes! I was hoping you hadn't got lost, this place can be hard to find. Oliver Lawley, nice to meet you." He looked at Gillian. "This must be the fiancée then?" He asked.

"Yeah. Gillian, say hello to Mr. Lawley." Cal pointed at him, and Gillian rolled her eyes at Cal.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lawley." She shook his hand.

"Please, call me Oliver." He answered. Gillian and Cal nodded. "Well, why don't you two come in and see them for yourselves." He beckoned them inside, and they walked through his living room and into the kitchen. He opened a door in the kitchen, and they followed him down into a finished basement.

"Cal, are you going to tell me what's up?" Gillian asked, as they were walking down the stairs.

"We are answering an ad in the paper luv." He answered.

"That doesn't clarify anything, Cal."

Oliver laughed at the exchange between the two strangers in his house. "Trust me, it's a good surprise!" He piped up.

They rounded the corner, and Gillian saw what they were there for. Cal watched a huge smile come across her face. Her mouth dropped open, and she started bouncing in place. In a small pen were four of the most adorable golden puppies that Gillian had ever seen.

"I have three females and one male left. They are all ready to go, and have all their paperwork. They are purebred golden retrievers, one of the best dogs you can own. Very friendly, and extremely loyal. Not always bright, but you would enjoy the hell out of them." Gillian had leaned down to pick one up. She was holding it in her arms. It was a lighter color than the rest of them, and bigger. "That's the male." Oliver explained. "He's sweet. He likes to cuddle."

Cal had picked up one of the more red colored dogs. She sniffed and licked his face. Gillian laughed. "You guys can step right over that pen and get in with all of them if you want." Oliver told them. "It's easier to pick one when you can see how all of them interact with you."

Gillian didn't need a second invitation. She hopped right into the pen, and all three of the puppies that were in the pen hopped up on her legs, trying to get closer. Cal put the one that he was holding back in the pen and joined Gillian, sitting on the floor. Gillian joined him on the floor.

All of the puppies were interested in them at first, but soon the appeal wore away, for all except one. It was the one Cal had picked up. She had stayed with both Cal and Gillian for the entire time they were there. She had the cutest little ears, and if they didn't pay attention to her, she barked at them and licked their hand. Gillian picked her up. "How about this one, Cal?"

"I think that's a wonderful choice, luv." He kissed her sweetly. After all this time, Gillian still felt like she could melt into a puddle every time Cal kissed her. He ruffled the dog's head and got up, pulling out his checkbook. "How much for her?" he asked.

Gillian stopped paying attention to Cal and played with their new puppy. The dog was curled up on Gillian's chest, and she couldn't believe that one day this little thing would one day come up to her thigh. She laughed to herself as she thought, _this must be what mothers think about their children._ She couldn't stop smiling at the thought. "Gill." She heard her name and snapped out of her bubble. "Ready to go home?" Cal asked.

Gillian nodded, and they followed Oliver out of the house. "Thank you for letting us look at your dogs." Gillian said.

Oliver laughed. "Anytime. Take care of her!" They walked toward the car. Cal opened the door for Gillian, and she sat with the puppy on her lap. Cal got in the driver's side and drove home. He didn't need the GPS, he was good at finding his way back.

"Cal, we can't call her the puppy her whole life, she needs a name." Gillian said, stroking the dog's head.

"What do you like?"

"I don't know, throw some names at me!" She answered him.

Cal thought for a moment. "What about Lucy?"

Gillian smiled. "I think Lucy is wonderful!" She patted the dog's head again, and smiled at her fiancé. "We don't have anything at the house for her though! We need to stop!"

Cal laughed. "Do you think that I would surprise you with a puppy without being prepared? All her stuff is hiding in a closet at home." They laughed. Gillian took out her phone and snapped a picture. She sent it to Emily. **LUCY WILL B WAITING 4 U WHEN U GET HOME IN THE MORNING!** She leaned over and kissed Cal on the cheek.

"Alright. Let's go home then." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Sounds good, luv."


	24. Chapter 24

Cal and Gillian entered the bar, and the first thing Gillian saw was a platinum head running toward her. "Oh my gosh your new puppy is so cute!" Carrie's voice went up at the word 'cute', almost squealing it. She gave both Gillian and Cal hugs.

"Yeah, not when she's pissing on the rug." Cal grumbled, and hugged her back. She led them to a booth, where the rest of their friends were waiting. They had grabbed one that was shaped like a horseshoe, Ria and Alex sitting on the right side, and Eli waiting in the middle. Carrie slid in first, to sit next to Eli, followed by Cal and Gillian.

"So, what's new with you guys?" Alex asked them after they got situated.

"Well, I'm sure Ria has told you all about our newest addition." Gillian answered, and Ria smiled and nodded, indicating that she had.

"I just think she's so cute! I'm trying to convince him that we need one!" She wrapped her arms around his forearm, and put her chin on his shoulder, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Please, baby? You know you want to!" Alex smiled and shook his head. "I don't know, honey. We can talk later." He kissed her sweetly, and Ria blushed.

"What about you guys?" Gillian asked in return.

"Well, I finally got myself completely moved in to Ria's place." Alex answered. "And I got a promotion at work. So it's been pretty great."

"I've been grading final papers for days now. It's nice to have a break!" Carrie said. She looked at Cal as if she had just remembered something. "Am I remembering right? Is Emily graduating tomorrow?" she asked.

Cal beamed with pride. "Yes, she is. Will we see you there?"

"Yes, I'll be there. All the teachers will!"

"Well, don't be a stranger. Also, everyone here is welcome to her graduation party on Sunday. It wouldn't be a party without you guys." Gillian responded. Ria looked up at them.

"Lightman, are you ready for this?" She asked him.

Cal's smile dampened a bit. "I am excited for her, and sad for me. There's only a few more months until she leaves me for California. Until then, she is helping with wedding planning, and we have another beach trip planned in early August. I plan on enjoying the hell out of her while she is here." Cal answered, truthfully.

"Oh, a beach trip sounds like a great idea! You guy got some awesome pictures from your last one. Carrie, we should plan one of those." Eli stated.

Carrie smiled up at him. "Sounds like a plan, babe."

"Alright, enough of all your sap, let's get some drinks here." Cal demanded, and they all laughed. Eli bought the first round. They all went around telling crazy stories about their weeks, avoiding Lightman Group related stories when possible. When they hung out, they did it as friends, not as colleagues. Gillian usually talked about her nieces, Ria about Eva, Alex about some crazy bank customer, and Carrie about her students. Suddenly, Ria got up from her seat on the end. "Let's dance!" She yelled. Alex got up quickly to join her.

"Let's go Cal!" Gillian exclaimed as she pulled him behind her to the dance floor. It was nice having Eli and Carrie there. The group on the dance floor seemed better, and less awkward with another couple. They all lost track of time while they were dancing, and spent the time making fun of one another and laughing. They all loved slow dancing. Each couple had taken sneaky pictures of the other couples dancing. Cal and Gillian were the favorite targets, and they were always so into each other that they never noticed the cameras pointed at them. When the first slow song came on, Cal pulled Gillian toward him, and held her tightly around her waist. She put her arms around his shoulders, and tapped her forehead to his. This way, they danced, melting into one another, and looking straight into the other person's eyes. Cal knew it was cliché, but the eyes were the windows to the soul, and he never tired of looking directly into Gillian's loving eyes.

Alex grabbed Ria, placing both of his hands on her hips, feeling the rhythm of the music as she moved them. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, and rested her head on his left shoulder.

Eli wrapped his arms around Carrie's waist, and she wrapped hers around his shoulders. They both kept their heads alert, sometimes looking at each other, and sometimes looking around, not quite secure enough in their relationship yet to just gaze into each other's eyes. Eli found it incredibly intimidating.

When the slow song was over, it was back to their small group. Gillian left to buy the second round. She knew it would be an early night, because they had to be up early for the graduation ceremony. She guessed Carrie would be leaving early too. She brought the second round to their booth, so everyone could drink at their leisure. She sat down, and was joined by Ria.

"How is the wedding planning going?" Ria asked.

Gillian smiled. "Surprisingly well. We booked a hall already, and found a justice of the peace. I'm not worrying about seating charts, everyone can seat themselves. We have a meeting next week with a cake decorator. Tony's friend, who was the DJ at Emily's birthday party is going to DJ at the reception at a discount again."

"Sounds like you have it all figured out then." Ria interrupted.

"Almost. We need to find a rental company with some tables and chairs, the hall doesn't supply them. And so far, they are all telling us it's unlikely that they will have what we need. I still need to print and send out invitations, and I need to start getting decorations in order. But that's hard when I don't know what we will get for tables. I don't know how many centerpieces to make, and…"

Ria grabbed her hand. "Alright! Calm down! You know, I am always available to help! And you will have Emily all summer, I'm sure she can help with invitations and centerpieces. She's your maid of honor, put her to work!" The women laughed, and Gillian was relieved just a bit. She was surprised at how much they had done in a month, she couldn't sweat this small stuff. Cal came over and sat down with them.

"We have an early morning tomorrow, luv, do you want to go now?"

"Can we wait for the next slow song, please?"

"That's fine, luv. Whatever you want." He had a drink and got back up. "So, are you going to come dance with me, or what?"

Gillian smiled and got up, back to the dance floor where her friends were waiting. It was a while before the next slow song came on, but Cal swooped her up into that all familiar pose that still made her heart melt. It never ceased to amaze her how they molded into one, and she still felt butterflies in her stomach every time.

_The smell of your skin_

_The taste of your kiss_

_The way you whisper in the dark_

Cal leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Gill, I love you. So much." She smiled into his neck as they swayed along with the music.

_Your hair all around me_

_Baby you surround me_

_You touch every place in my heart_

He pulled away and placed his forehead on hers, their normal spot. She looked into his eyes. "I love you too, Cal." They kissed softly.

_Oh it feels like the first time every time_

_I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes_

It was true. Every time they kissed brought her back to that night on her porch, after their first, very awkward, date. She never grew tired of it. It made her stomach flip, like an adolescent anticipating her first kiss. Except, Gillian got to experience that feeling multiple times every day. He pulled away again and gazed into her eyes. "I'm glad to see you're not sick of me yet" Gillian whispered, and they shared a giggle, never breaking eye contact. When the song ended, too soon for their liking, they said goodbye to their friends. Gillian hugged everyone, put on her jacket, and waited for Cal at the door.

"Well, it was nice seeing you all again. Will I see you tomorrow, Carrie?" Cal asked.

"Yes, I'll come find you. I should get going soon too. Sorry to cut it short, Ria." She looked at the woman apologetically.

"Nah, it's fine. I understand, you guys have stuff to do tomorrow. We'll just make it longer next time!" Ria laughed, and grabbed Alex, pulling him toward the dance floor. Cal walked Gillian out to the car, opening the door for her, and running around to his side.

As they drove home, he couldn't shake the compulsion to ask Gillian about her talk with Ria. He didn't want to pry, but he had seen how upset she was. "What did Ria say that had you all worked up?" He finally asked.

Gillian laughed. "Oh, she just asked me how wedding planning was going. I told her that most of the big stuff is all settled. But you know me, Cal. I get worked up about all the little details. I know they won't take long, but I still freaked out a bit when I started talking about them all. That's all."

Cal nodded, he understood all too well. Lately, Gillian had been nagging him about getting all the addresses he needed to send invitations out to his family. He kept telling her he had already emailed them all with the date, and that flights had been booked. She definitely tended to focus on the smaller issues, but he just took it day by day.

They were greeted at home by the sound of little claws running across the tile in the kitchen. "Hi, Lucy!" Gillian cooed, picking up the puppy. "Did you miss us?" She licked Gillian's face in response.

"Don't let her fool you, I took her out 10 minutes ago." Emily's voice startled them.

"What are you still doing up? You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow!" Cal lectured.

"Chill out, Dad, it's fine. I just can't sleep, I'm too excited." She answered.

Gillian nodded. "I remember I was the same way when I graduated. I was too excited to sleep. When I can't sleep, I usually read, and eat a lot. So when I was up, she was up."

Emily laughed. "All I do is listen to my music, and write. And I use ear buds, so I hope it doesn't bother you!"

"No! We can never hear you, no worries!" Gillian reassured her.

"This is all sweet, but you should at least try to go to sleep, luv. Okay?" Cal broke up their giggle fest.

Emily sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, Dad. Goodnight." She hugged and kissed them both on their cheeks, and headed toward the stairs. Gillian and Cal took off their shoes and followed her, changing quickly, setting the alarm, and collapsing into a deep sleep.

When the alarm went off in the morning, Cal got up and headed downstairs to make breakfast for everyone while Gillian showered. She straightened her hair and put on her makeup. She dressed in a form fitting red dress stopped at her knees. It had short sleeves and a V-neck. She settled on black shoes, and one black barrette to put in her hair. She walked downstairs to see breakfast already waiting for her at her usual spot at the table. Emily hadn't been down yet, as her plate was untouched. Cal was almost done eating. She took a sip of her coffee. "Perfect, as usual. Thank you, Cal." She sat down to eat her eggs. "The shower is free, and I laid out your suit for you." She told him. "Hurry up, we don't have much time." She nagged.

He laughed. "I know, let me finish my breakfast, luv. I'll get right on the whole showering thing soon, I promise!" They laughed together, and Gillian shoved a forkful of egg in her face.

When Emily entered the room, it grew silent. She looked beautiful, as always. She had on a white sundress and white heels, and her hair had been straightened. The sides of her hair were being held back with bobby pins. Gillian got up and hugged her. "You look beautiful, sweetheart. Dad made us breakfast, yours is waiting!"

Emily grinned. "Thanks, Dad."

"Anytime. You look gorgeous, by the way." He answered. He had finished his meal, so he picked up his plate and dropped it in the sink. He headed upstairs to get ready. Emily sat down to eat her eggs and toast.

"How soon after you went upstairs did you finally fall asleep?" Gillian asked the younger woman.

"Around two hours. It's fine, I knew I'd be running on no sleep this morning." She leaned down and fed Lucy a piece of her toast.

Gillian laughed. "I never thought I would have to lecture you about feeding the dog table scraps!" The women both erupted into fits of giggles. Gillian leaned down and gave Lucy the last bit of her toast. "That's it now, all done." She told the dog firmly.

Emily shoveled the food into her mouth and stood up. "I have to go, I can't be late. I'll see you guys there." She ran around the table and kissed Gillian on the cheek. Gillian reached out for her arm, and pulled the teen into a warm hug.

"I'm very proud of you." She whispered to the teen.

Emily pulled away. "Come on, Gill. Don't make me cry, my mascara will run." They both laughed. Emily leaned down and scratched Lucy behind the ear. "Bye, honey. I'll see you later." She walked through the kitchen and left.

Gillian moved hers and Emily's dishes to the sink and started to wash them while she waited for Cal. She was only halfway through the dishes when Cal came in, dressed in his suit and tie. "Let's go, luv. We don't want to be late." She dried off her hands and followed him out to the car.

Zoe had saved them seats near her and Tony. She had really been trying her best with them, she knew she had burned her bridges badly. When she saw them walk into the crowded gymnasium, she waved them over. Cal sat next to her and Gillian sat next to him. Was it funny that he felt he needed to keep his body between them? Did he really think they would fight today of all days? Gillian held out her hand. "Hi, Zoe. How are you doing?"

Zoe shook Gillian's hand. "Good. I didn't sleep much last night."

"Neither did Emily, I guess. She was awake when we got home."

"Probably playing with that puppy. She's cute." Zoe answered. Before Gillian could answer, the band started playing pomp and circumstance. Cal pulled out his camera and Gillian pulled out her phone, hoping to catch a glance of Emily while she walked. Emily was about right in the middle of her line, and everyone got a clear shot of her walking down the aisle. Gillian put away her phone and glanced at Cal. She was surprised to see a tear in the corner of his eye. She wiped it away, and grabbed on to his arm, holding him tight.

They sat like this for the whole ceremony, the speeches and the scholarships. When they started calling names, Cal and Zoe stood up to walk a little closer to get a picture of their daughter getting her diploma. Gillian stayed at her seat, poised with her phone, to try and catch one from there.

"Emily Louise Lightman." The principal called out her name, and the audience clapped. They clapped the whole time. But Gillian heard Cal's voice above the rest. "Woooooo! Go Emily! Woooooo!" Emily was beaming as she walked across the stage to accept her diploma. Gillian stuck her fingers in her mouth and let out a shrill whistle, one of her hidden talents, as she took a few pictures with her phone. Zoe and Cal returned, sitting in their respective seats, and all three of them started comparing pictures. Zoe and Gillian got the best ones, as Cal was too busy screaming encouragement. Before they knew it, the new graduates were throwing their caps in the air and walking out of the gymnasium doors. Everyone stood up and packed the doors behind them, trying to get out.

When they got outside, Zoe hugged her daughter tightly, and Tony lifted them both off of the ground. Cal hugged her next, and Gillian hugged her last. "Tony, was that you whistling for me?" She asked.

He laughed. "Nope. That was Gill, and it scared the shit out of me when she did it."

Gillian laughed and blushed as the teen hugged her again. Gillian turned around when she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Carrie, fulfilling her promise to meet them there. "Hi! Carrie, how are you?" Gillian hugged the blonde woman tightly. She was wearing a yellow blouse and a white skirt. Her stick straight hair was pulled up into a ponytail.

"I'm good! Long time no see!" She laughed. She addressed Emily. "Congratulations, Emily. I hear you have big plans! I'm sure you will do great."

"Thanks, Miss. Getty. Do you mind getting a picture of me and my family?" She asked politely, and Carrie took the phone. Cal and Gillian were on Emily's right, and Zoe and Tony were on her left.

"Alright. On three say cheese! One, two, three!" No one said cheese, they just smiled sweetly while Carrie took the photo. Carrie handed the phone back to Emily. "I have to go now, Eli says he has some sort of surprise for me. Good luck, Emily!" With that she hugged Gillian and Cal and left.

Cal swooped in again and hugged his little girl tightly, and Gillian got a really sweet picture of the two of them. It made her heart melt to see these two interact.

"Do you mind if I interrupt?" A voice Gillian immediately recognized spoke up. She turned around to see Adam standing behind her.

"Adam! Congrats! Hurry up, get in a picture with Emily!" She ushered the two together. They posed next to each other, her arm around his shoulders, and his around her waist. Suddenly, he turned his head, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Oh! Please tell me somebody got that!" Gillian shouted and everyone laughed.

They took pictures like this for about a half an hour, just enjoying the time together. Soon, Zoe was making excuses about work, and Emily and Adam wanted to see a movie, so they all parted ways for now, until the graduation party.


	25. Chapter 25

Just a warning, this chapter is pretty intense. I hope you enjoy! Let me know!

* * *

Gillian was sitting on the couch in Cal's office, typing up the last few names and addresses on the wedding invitations. He was at his desk, analyzing video from the trial he was consulting on. He was supposed to help the DA know how he thought the jurors were swaying. He was going to a lot more jury selection hearings as a consultant. This was a new and interesting way that they had decided to us him.

They both looked at each other when they heard the sound of heels running frantically toward them. Ria barreled into the office and right up to Cal's desk. She slammed her hand down. "Don't tell me you did this to me again, Lightman. If you did, I swear I'm through!" She yelled it at him. She was shaking all over, and had obviously been crying earlier. Gillian got up and walked toward her friend, grabbing her shoulders and trying to guide her toward the couch. Ria pulled away from Gillian's touch. "And you. You let him pull this shit! Why should I trust either of you?" Cal and Gillian looked at each other, unsure of what exactly was going on.

Eli came running into the room. He swallowed. "You guys need to turn on the news." He told them. He glanced at Ria, and back at them. "Now." He enforced. Cal pressed a button on his remote, and the trial he had been viewing was changed to the news. The headline at the bottom flickered. There was a hostage situation at the Capital One, and shots had been fired. Ria was devastated, and was bent over sobbing. Gillian tried to pull her back up, but she pulled away again.

Cal got up from his desk, and walked around to where Ria was standing, crouched over. He knelt down so that his head was where hers was.

"Listen, Ria, I need you to look at me." He put his finger on her chin and lifted it. "This is not another Karl situation, luv. I didn't know about this. But, I am going to do my best to help you. You can see that I'm not lying, right?" He reassured the younger woman. She nodded at him, and collapsed into his embrace. Gillian breathed a sigh of relief, at least she trusted them. Cal stood Ria up. "Alright then. Let's go to the police. They will help us figure out what to do." He led her to the door, and Gillian followed. Eli looked on like a lost puppy, not sure what to do. Cal turned his head toward Eli. "You coming, Loker?"

When Cal got there, he quickly took over the police station, handling the video feed and arguing with the negotiator. Gillian stayed with Ria, not wanting to leave her side. She wasn't surprised to see how quickly Cal took control, but she was worried he wouldn't be able to stay impartial. He was dealing with two of their friends.

She rubbed Ria's back and held her hand, reassuring the woman that all would be fine. Ria rocked her body back and forth, trying not to cry. Cal came over to them. "Gill, there is a point across the street from the bank where a lot of the family members of the other hostages are waiting. How about you guys wait there for Alex." Gillian nodded, knowing it was probably best. He had Eli there to help him if he needed it. She grabbed Ria by the arm and helped her up. The poor woman was in a fog, she had no clue what was going on. Gillian led her out of the building.

Cal went back to the room with all the televisions. The IT squad had hacked into the ban's security feeds. There wasn't any sound, but just seeing them would help. People were huddled under tables. No one looked injured, as far as Cal could tell. He tapped the negotiator on the shoulder. "Has anyone tried to contact the people in the bank yet?

The negotiator shook his head. "I was just about to, though. Want to watch?"

Cal nodded. The negotiator dialed a number, and waited. Cal watched the video feed.

"Hello. My name is Detective Verock, and I am a hostage negotiator. Is anyone there hurt" There was silence. "I'm sure we can figure that out. What's your name?" Cal watched the feed as the young man shouted something, and hung up the phone. Cal turned toward the negotiator.

"What are his demands?"

"$100,000. And a ride to Georgetown Hospital."

Cal was worried. "Is he hurt? He doesn't look like he's in pain."

"No one is hurt. He fired shots, but I guess they didn't hit anyone."

Cal watched the young man on the cameras some more. "Look at him. He really doesn't want to shoot that gun." Cal pointed at the screen. "His finger isn't even on the trigger. He's pointing it, but not with intent. He doesn't want to hurt a fly." Verock came over to acknowledge what Cal had seen.

"I can see that, but he went into a bank with a gun. That has to mean something."

"It does. He wants to make a statement. To shock. But not to kill anyone." Cal picked up the phone and hit the redial button.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling the man of the hour." Cal watched as the young man picked up the phone again.

"Hello?" The gruff voice on the other end of the line made Cal's hair stand up. He was talking to the person holding those people hostage.

"My name is Dr. Lightman. I know you don't want to hurt those people. Now, I can get you your money, but I need you to help me out. What is your name, son?"

"No." The voice answered on the other end. "I want my money now. I'm not giving you my name."

"Well, we need to know who to write the check out to. Let's go."

"Kyle Freem." The line went dead. Cal looked at Detective Verock.

"His name is Kyle Freem. Do whatever you need to do with that information." Cal picked up the phone to dial again, but it was Eli that stopped him.

"Lightman, wait, look at this guy. He is pacing, and he looks like he's about to go off. Wait a few minutes before you call." Loker grabbed the older man's shoulder. "I know you want to get Alex out of there, so do we. But you need to look at this objectively, another call so soon and this guy will lose it." Cal sighed and put the phone back on the receiver. He pulled out his cell instead.

* * *

Gillian and Ria had just arrived across the street from the bank. There were ambulances lined up, just in case. Ria sat and stared at the door to the bank, waiting for her boyfriend to come through. She couldn't believe it. Last week they were at Fourth of July cookouts and dancing with Gill and Lightman. Everything was good. Now, he was being held hostage by a gunman.

Gillian let go of her hand and reached for her buzzing phone. She typed a quick reply, and put it back into her pocket. She grabbed Ria's hand again.

"Who was that?" Ria asked, knowing the answer, but just wanting to break the agonizing silence while she waited for Alex to come through those doors.

"It was Cal, he was checking up on you. You know, he is doing everything he can to get Alex out safely."

Ria nodded. "I know." For someone who could be so stoic, Cal had quickly showed her so much compassion, and she knew he was working his ass off. Alex was his friend too.

"You know," Gillian started, "I have never seen him take over a police station quicker than he did today. I think it was a new record." The women shared some nervous laughter. It wasn't normal, but it was something.

* * *

Cal picked up the phone, and hit the redial button again. Kyle picked up quickly. "Where is my money?" He asked.

"I know about your daughter." Cal replied. He watched the shock and fear come across Kyle's face. "I have a daughter too, so I get where you're coming from." He continued.

"That has nothing to do with anything." Kyle countered.

"Oh, I don't believe that. You need the money so they will do her transplant operation. Does your family have health insurance?"

"They won't cover her, it's a preexisting condition. If Jara doesn't get that lung, she will die." Kyle answered. "I need that money so that they will do her operation."

"Well, today is your lucky day. I happen to be personal friends with the branch manager. And I will tell him to give you the money if you let all the women and children go free."

"Fine. But you better talk to him."

* * *

Ria's heart leapt when she saw those doors open, and a flood of people came pouring out. She scanned the crowd as they ran over and hugged their family members. They all got checked by the EMTs, although none of them looked hurt. Ria began to sob again. "Gill, they just released everybody, Alex isn't here, he's dead, I just know it!" She collapsed again into Gillian's embrace, and Gillian fought back tears of her own. That was not something they would be allowed to think.

"Ria, think back to the crowd. It's normal, he released the women and children first. Alex isn't a woman or a child. None of them were hurt, so we have to believe that Alex is okay too. Don't give up just yet."

* * *

"Okay, all the women and children are free. Now what's his name?"

"I need you to do me a favor. Yell out that Cal Lightman is on the phone for Alex Duncan. I will tell him what to do. Cal heard Kyle repeat his words, and watched on the monitor as Alex stood and walked slowly toward Kyle. He grabbed the phone.

"Cal? How's Ria, is she Okay?" He heard his friend's familiar voice.

"Yes, Ria is okay, Gill is with her. Listen. He needs $100,000 for his daughter's operation. You need to bring him to the safe and give him that money. I am going to tell him that you won't give him the money unless the rest of the hostages are free to go when you guys leave the room. You will be the only one left with him."

"Okay." Cal watched as Alex handed the phone back to Kyle.

"Will I get my money?"

"Only if you promise that the other hostages are free to go after the two of you leave the room."

"I don't want to do that." Kyle answered.

"Well then you won't get your money, and Jara won't get her operation."

"Okay. So I guess this is goodbye." Kyle hung up the phone. Cal saw him talking to the other hostages, and Alex leading him out of the room. It was almost over.

* * *

Ria was glad when she saw that the men were coming out. They ran across the street to see their wives, who were waiting with open arms. But once again, Alex wasn't in this wave. Her stomach fell, and her blood ran cold. Something bad had happened, she just knew it. She saw one of Alex's co-workers, Brendan, and she ran up to him. "Where is Alex? Is he okay?"

"Last I knew, yes. He was leading the man into the safe room, probably to get him cash. Hopefully, this is almost over." Ria smiled and hugged Brendan.

But then, shots rang out. Her heart stopped, and she screamed. Gillian was there to catch her, and they were both crying hysterically into each other's shoulders. Ria watched, as the door opened, and Alex and a young man came out. Alex had blood spurting out of his leg, and the man was holding a gun, pointing at an ambulance. "I will accompany this man in that ambulance to Georgetown." Alex was to close to this man, needing to lean on him to walk. The police couldn't get a shot on the assailant. They were loaded into the ambulance, which drove off. Gillian pulled out her phone and called Cal.

"Cal, I'm filling you in quick. Alex got shot, the shooter is still holding him hostage in an ambulance to Georgetown. I'm taking Ria there now." She hung up, and pulled Ria toward her car.

Alex was wheeled in on a gurney. He had lost too much blood, he was fading in and out. The man who shot him once in each leg was walking right beside him, gun still raised, saying that Alex didn't get treatment until his daughter was prepped for surgery. He had money now. That's the last thing he remembered when it all went black.

When Gillian and Ria got there, the police were swarming. They had trouble getting inside. Ria lied, and said she was Alex's wife so they would keep her up to date. She waited in the waiting room like everyone else, except unlike everyone else, she was numb. She couldn't remember a thing, she had no sense of time, and couldn't even feel Gillian's hand in hers anymore. Neither of them had any idea how much time had passes when they saw the assailant being led out in handcuffs. All she remembered of the doctor talking to her was the words surgery and blood loss. When Cal joined them, she barely acknowledged him. Just looked straight ahead at the wall in front of her, praying to a God she had stopped believing in years ago, to save her love.

When Alex opened his eyes, Ria's face was the first thing he saw. "Hey, baby. I'm glad you're okay." He told her.

She startled, and held back tears. She hadn't noticed he woke up. "You're glad I'm okay?" She joked, leaning in to kiss him hard. They both smiled and cried, happy tears. "You needed a few blood transfusions, but in all you will be fine. That Kyle guy wouldn't let anyone touch you until his daughter was prepped for surgery, so she will get a new lung. And he will go away to jail." She filled him in on what he had missed. She pulled out her phone to send a quick message to the people who had helped them so much today. **ALEX IS AWAKE. I'M GONNA STAY HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU BOTH.** She put her phone away and grabbed his hand again, never wanting to let it go. "I was so worried, baby. I love you." She kissed him again.

He pulled away for a second, looking her right in the eyes. "Ria, let's get that puppy." She smiled and laughed, letting the tears flow down her face.

When Ria left them to go be with Alex after his surgery, Gillian pulled Cal into the tightest embrace ever. She kissed him, hard. He kissed her with the same passion that she did. She couldn't imagine coming that close to losing him. This brought back all sorts of feelings from that incident with Eric Matheson. Back when she loved Cal but couldn't admit it, when she had almost lost him. This was all too close to home. "Cal, I'm ready to go home. I've had enough of this already."

He stroked her cheek tenderly. "Me too, luv. Let's go."

They both slept terribly that night. They each had awful nightmares where someone had been shot. Every hour or so, Gillian would sit straight up in bed, and Cal would grab her and hold her against him until they fell asleep again. They couldn't wait for the night to be over, either.


	26. Chapter 26

_Oi, Georgie!_

_It's great to hear from you, as always. I especially love to hear about what my awesome nephews are up to. It seems like they are growing up to be well rounded young men. I can't wait to see how much they have grown. Just a few short months until the wedding, and I honestly couldn't be any happier that Gill and I will finally be together. You know better than anyone that I have wanted this for years. I just keep waiting to wake up, I honestly never thought this would happen._

_Just want to run this by you. Should I be upset that she will hardly use my last name? I know the logistics, I know it makes sense for her to stay Dr. Foster at work and Mrs. Lightman in only social situations, but a part of me is upset that she will always be associated with that wanker, Alec. I don't know, maybe I'm overreacting. Of course, she knows all this, I just want an opinion from someone outside our little group._

_So I guess Dad is going to fly himself out. I told him I'd be more than happy to pay for airfare, but he insisted. It's a little strange, but I guess he can do whatever makes him happy._

_So in a few weeks, Emily, Gillian and I are heading back to the beach. It's the last week I will have with Emily before she moves across the country for school, so I plan to make the best of this weekend I will have with her. I hope we will get some awesome pictures to send you again, Gillian and I both keep ten in our office. I remember last year it was still awkward, just a bit. Gillian was afraid of overstepping boundaries, and didn't want to take a group photo. Now she can't get enough of them! I think she is as excited about this trip as I am._

_Sometimes, I wish we could have children of our own.__ I honestly respect Gillian and her decision, but it's still something that I really want. I want to see her interact with a child of our own. She's settled on fostering, which is great in my book, but I don't think she understands how hard it will be when we have to give the child back. I think she will fall in love and get her hopes up. It won't be easy for her, and I'm worried. But she is too afraid to push for adoption again, and this is as close as she can get. I just hope the experience gives her what she wants. _

_Well, as always, it was great to hear from you. I will see you all soon! You and Alice must come out with me and Gillian one night, I can see if Gillian's family can watch the boys. They have twin girls around Thomas's age. Talk to you later, and miss you as always, Cal._

Cal attached a few pictures to his monthly email to George, Gillian and Lucy cuddling, Emily and Gillian chatting on the couch, a big family picture from the Fourth of July cookout. He hit the send button and closed his laptop. He kissed Gillian lightly on the head, and she stirred. "Good morning, luv. I have to leave pretty soon, I have court."

She rolled over, opened her eyes, and looked at him. He wasn't even dressed yet. "Have you even showered, Cal?" She asked him, searching his face for hints of the answer to come.

"Not yet." He answered truthfully, and grinned.

"Well, why tell me you have to leave soon?" She teased.

"I meant, I have to leave the bed soon. I still have about an hour before I have to get to the courthouse." He raised his eyebrows, and she leapt out of bed, heading for the bathroom. He got up to follow her, and when he wasn't fast enough, she leaned her head around the corner.

"You coming?" She asked, disappearing around the corner again.

When Cal got to the bathroom, Gillian was already in the shower, lathering her hair with her shampoo. As Cal stepped in to join her, he was overwhelmed by the smell of chocolate. When they had first started dating, he thought that Gillian just ate so much chocolate that she just smelled like it. Now he was aware that it was her shampoo, and her body wash added just a hint of coconut. He smiled as she turned around to face him. He took in the shape of her body, every crevice and freckle. He had her memorized by now, but she never failed to astound him. She leaned in for a kiss, and he wrapped his arms around her. She reached up, and rubbed her shampoo into his hair, lathering it up. She pulled her face away, concentrating on washing his hair for him. "You have to look your best for court." She teased grinning at him. He laughed, and kissed her deeply.

After their shower, Gillian ran downstairs in her bathrobe to make herself and Cal some breakfast. It wasn't her norm, but she knew that by the time he was dressed, he wouldn't have time to cook and eat before he had to leave. She put some bread in the toaster and cracked open some eggs. She liked them best scrambled, so she added some milk and scrambled them as the pan was heating up. She quickly went over to the Keurig, popping in a new package and grabbing a coffee cup. She pressed the start button, and let it run.

She enjoyed cooking, she really did. But somehow it was never as good as what Cal made. Her eggs were always extra liquidy, and the toast always burnt, no matter what setting she had the toaster on. As hard as she tried, she never knew what spices Cal added to the eggs to make them taste so good. She put the sad looking breakfast on two plates, and added the milk and sugar to their coffees.

When Cal came downstairs, he saw Gillian eating a plate of scrambled eggs and drinking coffee. She wasn't rushing, she had more than an hour until she had to leave. He came up behind her, and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks for the breakfast, luv." He sat down at his place at their table, and took a bite. "It's delicious." He told her.

"Cal, I thought we didn't lie to each other." She retorted, and he was surprised. "The eggs are runny and the toast is burnt. I probably messed up your coffee too." She looked down and away.

"Gill, I love your scrambled eggs. I'm not lying." He took a sip of his coffee. "My coffee is perfect, always has been. And a little burnt toast never hurt anyone. So, maybe I am lying about the toast. But breakfast is delicious." She looked up and smiled as he said this. He wasn't sure she bought it, but she appreciated the sentiment. Cal finished eating quickly. He grabbed both his empty plate and Gillian's and brought them to the kitchen. He walked back out to the dining room to kiss his fiancée goodbye. As he pulled away, he looked into her stunning blue eyes. "Besides, it's really the thought that counts. You didn't have to make me breakfast." She laughed as he walked toward the door. "Goodbye, luv. I promise I'll wash those dishes tonight."

Gillian shook her head in disbelief. Sure, Cal liked her eggs, but that didn't mean they were good. She got up and headed upstairs, getting ready for her day. She picked out a navy blue, knee length pencil skirt from her closet. She pulled out the matching blouse, white with a collar, loosely fitting with grey and navy polka dots all over it. It was slightly see through, so she wore a white tank top underneath it. She took the time to straighten her hair today and pin the sides back. It was getting a bit longer, which was good. She needed enough hair for a proper up-do in just three months. She slid on a pair of white pumps, grabbed her purse, and ran out to her car.

She felt strange in her car sometimes. She rarely used it, and only when she and Cal had to go to different places in the mornings, which wasn't very often. She turned on the radio and headed toward work. While driving, she did a checklist about what they still needed to do. The cake and caterer were all set. She had sent out the invitations a few weeks ago. She wasn't doing a seating chart, people could sit wherever they wanted. She still needed decorations and to get started on centerpieces. She had to call the hall and find out how long the tables were. She needed to book a restaurant for the rehearsal dinner, which she and Cal decided to do on the Tuesday instead of on Thanksgiving. And she needed to make centerpieces. Her phone ringing stopped her train of thought. She didn't look at the screen, just swiped and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Gillybean!" A gruff, male voice practically shouted on the other end of the phone.

"Hi, Dad. How are you?" She answered.

"I'm good, Gilly. How goes wedding planning?"

"Good. I was just running through some last minute plans in my head when you called." She answered truthfully. She parked outside the office. She was early, as usual, and had plenty of time to sit and chat before she had to make an appearance.

"That's good to hear. I have to be honest, I never thought you would be marrying your boss!" He laughed, wild laughter, and Gillian smiled.

"Not my boss, my partner. I own just as much stock as he does."

"Yeah, but it's his name on the door." He joked.

"Not for long!" Gillian sing-songed back. Anyone listening in to their conversation would think he was critical, but Gillian knew her Dad. The whole boss joke had been played out by her family for years. They knew she had just as much at stake as Cal, they just liked to push her buttons. It was like when she was younger, and would call Nick a girl just to get a rise out of him. "How's business?" she asked him, changing the subject.

"Alright. It's not great, but it pays the bills." Her father had moved to Portland when he and her mother had split, Gillian was around fourteen. He had opened up a bar there and loved it. He was one of Gillian's inspirations when she decided to take a risk and leave the pentagon.

"Well, at least you're doing what you love." She answered.

"Yeah. That's actually why I called, Gillybean. I don't think I can afford to fly out." She could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Dad, don't worry. Cal and I set aside some money for travel. Most of it went to help his family, because they live overseas. But I have some for my family too. I can get you and Jeanne tickets later tonight." She made a note in her head to add that to her never-ending list of things to do.

"You don't have to do…"

"Dad, seriously, don't worry about it. Besides, I really want you to meet Cal in person. Also, when is the last time you saw the twins?" She heard him chuckle on the other side. "I need you and Mom there to give me away. You can't bail on this. This is it you know."

"And you're sure about that this time?" The tone in his voice gave it all away, he had seen all the pictures and heard all the stories. He knew that she was head over heels for this man.

"Yes, Dad. I'm sure." She laughed back at him.

"Why so soon though? You guys just got engaged, what, three months ago?"

"I don't want to wait. I want a fall wedding, and I don't want to wait another year." She answered.

"Why, are you knocked up?" Her father roared with laughter. But this joke crossed a line.

When Gillian revealed to her family that she couldn't have children, they had all reacted differently. Her mother coddled Gillian like a child again. Michelle refused to even say the word "baby" around Gillian for at least a year. Nick had been really overzealous about her spending time with the twins, who were around two or three at the time. And her father had dealt with it the way he dealt with most things. He used humor. Unfortunately, he didn't always stop to think about the effect it had on Gillian.

"Dad, stop it. That isn't funny." She used the tone of voice that her family had deemed "The Danger Zone" when she was younger. It was a tone of voice that could stop all movement in a room, and one of the only things that could shut her father up. "You know damn well I'm not pregnant, you know I can't be. Maybe, you should stop using my misfortune as a joke, and realize that it really hurts me when people bring that up."

The other end was silent for a moment. "Sorry, Gill." He finally mumbled.

"Sorry I had to go into the danger zone. Just, think. Please." She responded. "Dad, I'm at work now, I have to go. I'll email you the itinerary tonight. I'll see you and Jeanne there, okay?"

"Okay, Gillybean. I love you."

"I love you too, Dad." She hung up the phone and checked herself in the rearview mirror. She got out of her car and headed into the office for another long day.


	27. Chapter 27

Cal relinquished the radio in the car, allowing Gillian and Emily to bond over their mutual love of Ke$ha and One Direction. He had hoped Emily would inherit his taste in music, but that looked like a long shot. He laughed as his fiancée and teenage daughter sang along with every lyric that came on, Emily dancing her dorky dances in the backseat. They made the long ride to the hotel enjoyable, even with the questionable music.

Gillian had booked a room at the same hotel as last time. Same as before, there was a common area, a little kitchenette, and two separate bedrooms. Gillian inserted and removed the room key, and the light on the handle turned green. Suddenly, Cal and Emily pushed past her, into the hotel room, and both raced each other to a bedroom. Emily made it to the threshold of the closest bedroom door first. She held her hands up in the air, victorious. "Yes! I claim this room!" Cal bent over, catching his breath.

"Not fair! I'm old, you know. I deserved a head start!" Cal feigned disappointment, and Emily stuck her tongue out at him.

"A head start?" Gillian laughed. "How about some warning? You two nearly toppled me over! 'Hey, Gill, we are going to race to a bedroom, maybe you should stay out of the way!'" She couldn't stop laughing at the two of them. Cal faked the biggest look of shame she had ever seen before. She pointed at him. "You. Grab your crap and bring it to our room." She smiled and shook her head as she picked up her bag and walked toward the room that she and Cal would share. As per usual, she unpacked everything and placed them in the provided drawers. She didn't hear Cal in the room until he sat on the bed behind her. He grabbed her and pulled her into his lap while she giggled the whole way down. "So, what's the plan, luv?" He kissed her on the neck.

She closed her eyes and her heart fluttered. She put her arms around his neck. "I think we should do what we did last time. Walk along the beach, find some food, and go see some live music."

"Alright. Sounds good luv." He whispered, staring into her blue eyes. She leaned in to kiss him, their lips locking perfectly. She teased her tongue at his lips, and he allowed her access. They didn't have long though.

"Ew! Guys, wait until I'm asleep at least!" They pulled away from each other abruptly. Gillian stood up, and turned a bright shade of red. Emily had out her phone, and was typing away furiously. "What's the plan? Live music again?"

Gillian nodded. "That and some food. I'm starving." She followed Emily through the door into the common room, and grabbed her purse off the table. They all left together and walked across the street, to where the shops were lined up along the beach.

They stopped at a little shop that they remembered from the year before. They had the beast steak and cheese subs any of them had ever had. Emily and Gillian found a table in the far corner and claimed it while Cal ordered their food. Gillian looked around at her surroundings. The wooden paneling on the walls was painted red, and the walls above were white. There was checkerboard print everywhere, and some iconic 50's artwork on the walls. She liked the vibe from that place. She smiled to herself, and glanced at her phone. Emily had tagged her in a picture on Facebook. Gillian smiled and opened the picture, just to burst out laughing. It was a picture of her and Cal at the hotel, making out. Apparently, Emily had been there early enough to snap a picture before protesting. "We just got to the hotel, and Dad and Gill are already at it. #gross #someonesavemeplease!" Ria, Eli, and Nick had already liked the picture.

"So this is how it's going to be?" Gillian said with a smile, as she showed her phone to the teen. "We are going to take embarrassing photos and tag each other?" They both laughed.

"Well, you can't take pictures of me like that! And besides, it's not like people don't see you two kiss already!" Gillian smiled and shook her head, and Emily just laughed. There was nothing to say to that, it was true. Cal came over to the table with their food in tow.

"Nice picture, Em. Thanks for that." He said plainly as he handed her sandwich to her.

"No problem dad. Anytime!" Emily responded, and Gillian laughed.

"The snark from this girl is amazing. I wonder where she gets it from?" Gillian teased. She unwrapped her sub. The smell brought back so many great memories from the year before.

Cal took a bite of his sandwich. "I think she spends too much time with you." He answered.

"Oh, because you don't have a sarcastic bone in your body, right Dad?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

They teased each other throughout dinner. They ate quickly, the live music from the year before was great, and they didn't want to miss it. When everyone was done, they threw out the wrappers and headed toward the outdoor amphitheater. It was an upbeat band playing, and Gillian and Emily quickly turned toward each other and started dancing. It was a few minutes before Cal joined them. Dancing with Ria every Friday night had improved both Cal and Gillian's rhythm a ton, and they danced with few inhibitions, even with the group of strangers around them.

"Thank you all! That song was called Lucky to Be Alive, written by that awesome person over there." The lead singer pointed back toward the drummer. "We are going to slow it down with another song he wrote, called Always Together. Enjoy!"

When the music slowed, Cal grabbed Gillian like he always did at the bar, and spun her around to face him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she wrapped hers around his neck. Their foreheads touched as the lead singer crooned. They slowly melted into one, not listening to the words, or paying any attention to who was around them. Cal just looked deep into Gillian's blue eyes, and smiled.

When the song was over, they pulled away from each other and started looking for Emily. She had wandered off a bit, and was turned away from them. Gillian went up to her, and tapped her on the shoulder. "Are you okay?" Gillian asked her back. When Emily turned around, she could see the tears in the poor girl's eyes. She wrapped her in a hug, while Emily cried into Gillian's shoulder. "Do you want to talk?" Gillian whispered into Emily's ear, and she felt Emily nod. They walked across the street from the amphitheater toward the beach, Gillian's arm around Emily's shoulder, followed closely by Cal. Once across the street, Emily turned around to face her Dad.

"Is it okay if I just talk to Gill? I just need another female right now." Cal nodded and stepped back, understanding that sometimes, he just couldn't help the way she needed him to. He watched Gillian and Emily take off their shoes and wade ankle deep into the ocean.

"So, what happened?" Gillian finally asked.

"Well, that stupid slow song came on, and Dad just grabbed you. You guys looked so perfect and in love. I took another picture, by the way, it's on Facebook. But I was looking at that picture, and how in love you guys were, and I just couldn't deal with it."

Gillian was a little confused and worried. Did Emily resent her for moving in? Had they moved too quickly with this whole wedding thing? She stayed quiet, waiting for Emily to continue.

The teen's voice trembled as she held back her tears. "Adam and I broke up." She blurted, and started crying again. Gillian grabbed Emily again and embraced her, stroking her brown hair while she cried.

"You guys knew this was going to happen, right? Wasn't your plan just to enjoy each other as much as possible?" Gillian asked her.

Emily pulled away, and looked Gillian in the eye. "Yes. But I don't want to leave him now. I love him Gill, and I love Brad. I wanted to be in their lives. But Brad's mom is taking him to Boston, and Adam is trying to find a job there to follow him, I am moving across the country in just under a week, and it just wasn't going to work." She was practically hysterical. Gillian led Emily out of the water so that they could sit on the beach.

"You know, he will still be around." Gillian finally said. "You're right. Right now, this relationship isn't practical. But in a few years, you don't know where you'll be. Maybe the best journalism jobs will be in Boston. Maybe Brad's Mom will move to LA next, and we both know Adam is a good Dad, and he will follow his kid wherever he needs to go. You don't know what life has in store for you yet." She grabbed Emily's arm reassuringly. "Ten years ago, if you had asked me, I would have thought my life couldn't get any better. I had my doctorate, I was married to a very successful man, we were talking about starting a family, and life was really good." Emily looked up at Gillian while she talked. Gillian rarely mentioned her ex, and never in a positive way. "Now, because of somebody's meddling, I know what true happiness is. Your father makes me so deliriously happy, that thinking back on all those years with Alec, the good years with Alec, they seem so," She paused, searching for the word, her lips pursed, gazing into the distance, "Mediocre." She said, finally.

Emily nodded, seeming to understand. "So, you're saying that the door isn't really shut, and that something better might be in store for me?"

"Precisely." Gillian nodded. Emily smiled. Her face was puffy, but at least she was smiling now.

"Thanks, Gill. Can we go back to the room and watch a movie?"

Gillian nodded. "I think I would be okay with that. Swimming tomorrow?"

Emily smiled. "Of course!" They stood up together and walked toward Cal, who was waiting for them.

"Everything alright?" he asked, as they approached them.

"Yes. We are going to watch a movie back at the room though." Emily answered him.

"What movie?" he asked.

"I brought Up." Cal groaned. "Dad, don't give me that! I know it's a kids movie, but it's really good! I promise you'll like it!" Cal roped his arm around her protectively and kissed her head.

"Whatever you say, luv."

Back in the hotel room, they split into their respective rooms to change into pajamas. Gillian filled Cal in on what she and Emily had talked about, correctly guessing that he had no clue what had happened. He kissed Gillian quickly. "Thank you for talking to her, luv."

"Of course, Cal. Anytime." She grabbed her phone really quick to see the picture Emily had mentioned. It was another picture of her and Cal slow dancing. This one was framed so that the sun was setting in the background. You couldn't really make out the details of their faces, as they were cloaked in shadow. Gillian held her phone out to Cal. "She took this with her phone. Her phone."

He looked at it and grinned. "If she doesn't make it as a journalist, she would make a great photographer." He said, beaming with pride.

This picture had many likes already. "Dad and Gill are so into each other. #awwww #truelove" Ria and Eli had responded by posting a steady stream of their own pictures of Cal and Gillian slow dancing, and arguing back and forth. Gillian was bursting out laughing. She put her phone down and stood up, heading out toward the common area, where Emily had the DVD all ready to play. Gillian sat on the right side of the couch, Cal in the middle and Emily on the left. Cal put his arms around his favorite girls while Emily pressed the play button. She snuggled in close to her Dad.

After the first few minutes, Cal grabbed the remote from Emily and paused it. "What the Hell, Em?" He asked. Emily looked up at him. He had tears in his eyes.

"I promise you. It's not all sad! This is really the saddest part, it gets it out of the way quick."

Gillian sniffled. This had hit a little close to home with her, with Ellie's miscarriage, and being unable to conceive. It was sad to watch, but heartwarming at the same time, because Ellie had Carl to get her through it. Just like Gillian had Cal. She took the remote from Cal's hand. "I want to keep watching this, Cal." She pressed the play button and snuggled in closer.

The movie was great. They laughed at Dug, and at Kevin. Dug was not so good at capturing the bird, and Kevin was not so fond of Carl. They cheered when Russell flew away with some balloons and a leaf blower to save his friends. And they cried again at the end when Carl gave Russell that damn grape soda pin. It was the perfect movie to lift their spirits.

Emily stood up. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you guys in the morning. I'm not letting you sleep in this time!" She smiled, hugged and kissed them both, and went to her room. Cal and Gillian followed her example and went to bed as well, awaiting the day that was to follow.


	28. Chapter 28

Emily hadn't been lying about not allowing them to sleep in. She went into their bedroom a little before ten in the morning. She walked to her father's side of the bed, and plopped down, laying across both of their feet. "Come on, guys. Get up! Let's go down to the water!"

Gillian wiggled her feet underneath the teen. She attempted to roll toward Cal. "You know, Em, it's difficult to move when you are pinned down."

Emily laughed and sat up, freeing Gillian's feet. She shook her Dad's shoulder. "Dad, come on." He didn't move. His face was mostly covered by the pillow, and Gillian could detect the faintest smile. Emily shook him again. "This isn't funny. Get up!" Gillian stifled a laugh. She stood up from bed and walked over to the drawers, fishing around for her bathing suit.

Emily shook her father one last time. "Dad, Gill's got a bikini." Gillian turned around, her face a deep shade of red. But Cal sat straight up. Emily was laughing. "I still rock at this 'what-will-get-dad-out-of-bed game!" She stood up from the bed, and walked toward the door. "Hurry up! I don't want to waste perfect daylight in here all day!" She shut the door behind her.

Gillian's mouth was still hanging open. Cal ignored it, and opened his suitcase, pulling out his plain black swim trunks. "Cal, what was that all about?" Gillian finally asked.

Cal smiled. "When she was younger, she used to try and wake me up by telling me the most outrageous thing she could think of. When she was seven or eight, I would jump out of bed dramatically, and run to the rescue. Now I do it just to annoy her, and she pulls out all the stops." He chuckled to himself. "You know, she told me she was pregnant once. That was one dramatic jump out of bed that I didn't fake. I think I scared her half to death that day."

Gillian laughed, and kept laughing. She couldn't believe what she had just heard, and thought it was hilarious that Emily had pulled her into that. And she was imagining Emily telling Cal she was pregnant. That must have been some rude awakening, Cal was a beast when it came to her innocence.

Gillian put on her bathing suit, a red bandeau top with matching bottoms, and Cal slathered her with sunscreen. She put sunscreen on his back, and they walked into the common area together. Emily was already waiting in her blue and yellow cover up, flip flops and oversized sunglasses. "What took you two so long?" She asked, tossing them each a towel.

"Your Dad had to explain that game to me, I didn't know what I was being dragged into!" Gillian explained, a huge smile on her face.

Emily looked a little nervous. "Did I cross a line? Sorry! I only did that once before, and that was bad enough."

Gillian couldn't help but laugh. "No, you didn't cross a line. Actually, you probably did, but it was funny! I bet you are referring to telling him you were pregnant?"

Emily's face turned red. "Yeah. He was scary, kept telling me 'It better be a joke, I'm going to kill the wanker who did this!'" She imitated his accent perfectly, and Gillian was almost on the floor, she was laughing so hard.

"I don't want to talk about that. It was scary. Come on, let's just go!" Emily grabbed Gillian's hand and pulled her to the door. They left the hotel and walked across the street to the beach. They set down their towels, and Emily began taking off her cover up. This time, Gillian was ready. She had her phone out and on video mode.

Cal yelled, "Race ya!" and knocked Emily over into the sand, taking off running toward the water. Emily bounced back quickly and charged after him. They reached the water at the same time, but Gillian knew it wasn't over. Emily caught up with her Dad and knocked him down into the water, then turned, and tried to get away as fast as she could. Cal was quick, lifting her up, and carrying her in waist-deep, and throwing her. Gillian laughed as she heard Emily scream. The next thing she knew, Cal was under the water, Emily must have grabbed his legs while she was still under. Gillian stopped filming, she would post it to Facebook later. She took off her sandals and black cover up, and ran towards the water to meet them. Cal quickly grabbed her and tackled her into the water, effectively bringing Gillian into the fight.

Gillian was relentless. She didn't care if Cal had just been under the water, she would let him up, allow him to catch a little breath, and dunk him again. These water fight with Cal and Emily always reminded her of water fights she had as a kid with Nick, and she never lost one of those. Unfortunately, Emily was just as bad as she was, and a formidable opponent. She made a mental note to add Emily as one of her allies next time as she knocked the teen's legs out from underneath, and she went sinking down into the water.

They fought for a while, until Cal forfeited, and Gillian and Emily called a truce. Emily and Gillian did some bodysurfing in the waves, while Cal looked on. Soon, they were all just floating, allowing the waves to bounce over them, relaxing completely in the warm summer air.

Gillian was the first out of the water, walking up to their cooler. They had packed some sandwiches and sodas for lunch, and she was hungry. She pulled out her ham and cheddar sandwich and her Kindle, relaxing on her towel, and picking the book she wanted to read. Emily was next up to join her for lunch. "I don't know what it is, but kicking the crap out of you and Dad really makes me hungry!" She teased as she sat down next to Gillian with her sandwich and book. They ate quickly, and laid down on their backs, each picking up their respective reading materials and bringing it to their faces. Gillian crossed her feet at the ankles.

Cal came up to eat his lunch, and found both Gillian and Emily sunbathing, reading their books. He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. He opened the Facebook app on his phone and posted it, tagging them both. "Apparently, I'm not interesting enough to hold their attention. #mygirls #sunbathing #reading" He ate his sandwich quickly, grabbed the bucket, and headed toward the water again.

It had been about a half an hour, when Gillian looked up from her book for the first time. Cal was by the water, building a small sandcastle. She tapped Emily on the shoulder. "Look at what your father is doing." Emily looked up, and smiled.

"He used to make those with me all the time when I was little." She closed her book and stood up. "Are you coming?" She ran down the beach toward her Dad. Gillian put her Kindle back in its case and walked down to join them.

Cal looked up. "Hello luv! Come to help out?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "I can't help much. I made different sandcastles when I was younger. I was never very good at these structured ones."

Cal and Emily both looked intrigued. "What do you mean, you didn't make sandcastles like these?" Emily asked.

"I made witch castles." Gillian explained. They still looked confused. "Can I borrow that bucket, and I will explain?" Gillian asked. Cal handed the bucket to her, and she walked toward the water with it. She filled it with water about halfway, and added sand until the mixture was at a somewhat thick consistency. She brought her mud back over to Emily and Cal. "Nick used to call them dribble castles." She explained, as she took a handful of mud and let it fall from her fingers into clumps. She did this for a while until she had a tall column of what looked like rocks. She completed this twice more on each side of the original column, making a really creepy looking castle.

"That looks awesome!" Emily said, and Gillian smiled.

"For some reason, they always just reminded me of a witch. So I called them witch castles."

"I can see why." Emily agreed. "It looks scary, if that were life size, I would stay away!" She and Gillian laughed.

She watched as Cal and Emily finished their castle, and went back in the water, just relaxing, not fighting. It felt great to just let the waves wash over them, and to take a break from planning and running around all the time. After a few more hours, they decided to walk among the shops again, and choose a place to eat dinner. Gillian and Emily put their cover ups back on, and walked into the first store while Cal brought all their stuff upstairs. When he joined them, they had each picked out a few sundresses to try on. They put on a short fashion show, and Cal bough them each a dress, Emily an orange one with little cutout flowers and Gillian a red one that reached halfway down her legs, and hugged her torso.

They walked in and out of the shops until they came up on a restaurant that seemed best for dinner. It was a sit down with a lot of windows, letting in the sun. They ordered quickly, Emily got a seafood platter, Gillian got a Caesar salad, and Cal got a honey barbeque chicken wrap. Emily pulled out her phone for the first time all day, seeing the video Gillian posted, and the picture Cal had posted. She laughed at her antics with her father. She showed Gillian the picture of the two of them. "Look, Gill! We look so alike in this picture!" It was true, and Gillian couldn't help but smile. They were lying in the same position on their towels, each reading their respective books. They even had the same expression on their faces. "Yes, I guess we do!" Gillian responded. The waitress came back with their food, and everyone dug in.

"So, what do you two want to do tonight?" Cal asked, talking with food in his mouth.

They both laughed at him. "Well, I think we all like the live music." Gillian offered.

Emily nodded ferociously. "Yes! And also, I have one more movie." Cal groaned. Up had been good, but he didn't feel like crying again. "Dad, don't give me that. It's Bridesmaids, it's funny!"

Cal laughed. "So we go from Up to Bridesmaids, huh? Quite the difference, luv." Emily stuck her tongue out at him.

"How is your seafood, Emily?" Gillian asked.

"So delicious! Want a bite?" Emily pushed the plate closer to Gillian, offering up anything on her plate generously.

"No thanks, I'm not a fan. But as long as you like it, that's all that matters!" Gillian answered.

Cal tapped on Emily's shoulder. "Hey Em." She looked at him, as he took a huge bite of his wrap. "Want some seafood?" He opened his mouth wide, revealing a clump of chewed, unswallowed food.

Emily scrunched up her face, and pushed her father's head out of her face. "Ew, Dad! How old are you, four?" Cal grinned to himself, and Gillian stifled a laugh. It still amazed her sometimes how much he could act like a child.

They finished quickly and brought their leftovers with them to the amphitheater. The place was emptier than usual, which left more room for dancing. Today there was a rock band, and although they were good, and everyone could appreciate the musicianship, none of them were really that into it. They only stayed for about an hour, and decided to walk back to the hotel along the beach again.

Emily had brought a small bag for collecting seashells. It was always something she enjoyed, it was like a treasure hunt. She turned around to see her Dad and Gillian walking hand in hand, totally enthralled in whatever the other one was saying. Sometimes, it was as if they were the only people in the world. They didn't always notice when other people were near, and they weren't aware of their surroundings when they were that enthralled with each other. That's what made it so easy to sneak pictures of them. Emily laughed to herself. This wasn't new, it was just more apparent now that they were a thing. It was this behavior between them that led her to get them together. Seeing them together now made her happy. Her Dad deserved Gillian, and she deserved a family. And Emily tried her hardest to make sure Gillian knew they were a family.

Emily had her phone out and ready. The lighting was perfect, and she wanted to catch them at the perfect moment. Her Dad let go of Gillian's had and wrapped it around her waist. She put her hands on his chest and stood slightly on her tiptoes. Cal pulled her tight against him, and they leaned in for a kiss. The wind blew Gillian's hair slightly in her face. Emily snapped a bunch of pictures, she would review them later to see which one was best. Her stomach turned a bit, but she ignored it. "Let's go, slowpokes!" She called, turning around and walking in front of them.

Back at the hotel, they put their leftovers into the fridge, and everybody went to their respective rooms to change into pajamas. Gillian noticed a notification on her phone from Facebook, and as hard as she tried, she couldn't just ignore it. That little red number 1 over her Facebook icon drove her nuts, so she opened it to see what she had been tagged in.

Emily had taken numerous photos of her and Cal as they walked along the beach, including one of a very passionate looking kiss. As per usual, the picture was beautiful, and Gillian was in awe of the fact that Emily could take pictures like that with her phone, Gillian couldn't even do it with a regular camera. She shook her head and attached the phone to its charger. She got up and headed into the common area, where Emily and Cal were setting up the movie. She sat down on the couch, waiting for the movie to start. Cal sat down next to her, and Emily on the other side. Cal hit play, and the movie started.

Gillian hadn't seen it before, but it was funny! Just what they needed after the movie they had watched the night before. About halfway through, Emily stood up. "You guys keep watching, I'm just going to run to the bathroom."

"Alright, luv." Cal answered. She ran to the bathroom quickly. Gillian snuggled in closer and continued watching. It was only a few minutes, but she thought she heard a very distinct sound coming from the bathroom.

"Cal. Pause the movie." He did, and she stood up, listening. "Do you hear that?" Cal cocked his head, and it soon became apparent that Emily was not just using the bathroom, she was sick. Because she was already up, Gillian got to the door first. She knocked. "Emily. It's me, is it alright if I come in?" She didn't hear the teen say anything. "I'm coming in now, okay?" Gillian opened the door slowly. Emily was kneeling by the toilet, crying softly. Gillian pulled the teen's long brown hair back and twisted it so it was out of her face. She rubbed Emily's back, and spoke softly. "Okay. It's alright. Do you want a cup of water so you can rinse the taste out of your mouth?" Emily nodded, and Cal bolted to the kitchen to get a cup. Gillian stayed with Emily while she cried.

Cal returned with a glass of water and handed it to Gillian. She stayed on the ground and gave it to Emily, who swished it around in her mouth and spit it out again. "Okay. How about we go lay down again? Would that be okay?" Emily nodded, and didn't say anything back. Cal moved out of the bathroom again, making room for the two women. Gillian and Emily walked out with their arms around each other's waists. Emily sat back down on the couch, leaning against the armrest, still not saying anything. She closed her eyes, and a few tears fell out of the corners of her eyes.

Cal walked up to Gillian. "I'm going to head out and get some ginger ale and crackers. I hopefully won't be long. Is that okay, or would you rather me stay with her?"

Gillian kissed his forehead. "I can stay with her. Just be quick." He nodded and left, pulling the door closed behind him quietly.

Gillian went back toward the couch. "Where did Dad go?" Emily finally asked.

Gillian sat down next to the teen. "He went out to the store to get you some ginger ale and crackers. He shouldn't be long." Emily nodded, acknowledging that she had been listening. "Do you want to keep watching the movie?" Gillian asked, and Emily nodded again. Gillian hit the play button, starting again.

Emily leaned in and rested her head on Gillian's shoulder, and Gillian rested her head on Emily's head. She had an idea. "Lift your head for a second." Emily obliged, and Gillian moved to the other side of the couch. She placed a pillow in her lap, and patted it. Emily stretched out, putting her head down on the pillow. "Is that better?" Gillian asked.

"Much." The teen answered, quietly.

Gillian stroked Emily's curls gently. "My mom used to do this with me when I was little and sick. She actually used to put on the Sound of Music, and stroke my hair until I fell asleep again." She smiled to herself, remembering all those times she woke up in the middle of the night. "To this day, it's my favorite movie."

"That's sweet, Gill. Mom and Dad did that with me and The Lion King. But I guess that's a little different."

"Not really. I bet that movie has a lot of sentimental meaning to you because of that. It doesn't matter how great the movie was, just that you have one, I guess." Gillian answered.

"Will you do that with any foster children you get?" Emily asked.

"I suppose. I don't see why not."

"How long until you guys do that?"

"I guess right after the wedding. We are kind of busy planning the wedding right now, I haven't even looked at the application." Gillian answered truthfully.

"Well, I hope you get a child quick. You'll be a great mom." Gillian heard the teen's breath slow down. She was pretty sure Emily was asleep. She smiled through the tears that were coming out of her eyes. It was great that Emily was so supportive, and she really wondered how she got so lucky. How she landed a wonderful, supportive man with an extremely intelligent and intuitive daughter, she would never understand. She really couldn't imagine life getting any better than this.

Cal got back later than expected. The Walmarts nearby all closed early, and it was quite a drive to fins a 24 hour CVS. When he opened the door, the TV was on the movie menu. He could see Gillian's head slumped to the right, she was probably asleep. He walked over to them and saw a sight that made his heart swell. Emily was laying down, head in Gillian's lap. She had a small smile on her face, despite the fact that she had just been sick. Gillian was slumped over as well, a smile on her face, and her hand resting on Emily's head. Cal pulled out his phone and took a picture really quick. He would show them in the morning. He covered Emily with a blanket and headed to his bedroom. He would see them in the morning.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N** Sorry, it's a short one today! Enjoy!

* * *

It had all come down to this. Emily was standing in line at the JetBlue desk, checking in for her flight across the country. Cal watched her from afar as she checked her bags and got her boarding pass. Gillian wrapped herself around Cal's arm, offering whatever comfort she could to him. Standing about six feet away, completely ignoring Cal and Gillian, Zoe was standing in her grey pantsuit and talking on her cell phone. Truthfully, she was yelling on her cell phone. Any passerby wouldn't have a clue that the two groups were even together, saying goodbye to the same person.

Emily walked over to the odd group, boarding pass in her hand. She had on a pair of black yoga pants and a white, loosely fitting t-shirt. Her hair was up in a bun on the top of her head. When her Dad had asked her why she hadn't dressed up more for her flight, she told him it was going to be a long flight, and she wanted to be as comfortable as possible.

"What, you don't want to look nice for Jessica?" Cal had asked.

Emily had rolled her eyes. "Dad, you do realize that this is what college students wear, right?" Gillian had nodded, confirming this statement, and Cal had dropped the issue.

Emily tapped her Dad on the shoulder, he was staring off into space. "My flight leaves in about two hours, and it could take an hour to get through security. So I should go pretty soon."

Zoe walked over to join them. She placed her hand in the small of Emily's back. "All set, honey?" She asked.

Emily nodded. "Yes. And I've already shipped almost all of my things to Jessica's already, so I should be all ready to move in next week."

Zoe nodded, acknowledging Emily's answer. Emily hugged her mom quickly. "I love you mum, I'll text you when I land."

Zoe hugged her daughter tighter. "Okay honey." Gillian watched a tear fall into Emily's shoulder. They pulled apart, and Zoe turned to address Cal and Gillian. "So, will I see you two for thanksgiving again, or will you be too busy with wedding plans?"

Gillian wrapped her arms tighter around Cal's arm. "We wouldn't miss it." She answered.

Zoe nodded. "Okay. See you all then. I really have to get to work. I'm sure you will make it to your flight okay." She stated to Emily, and Emily nodded.

"Yes, Mom, I'll be fine. Just go to work, you don't need to lose your job because of me!" She hugged Zoe again. "I love you. I'll talk to you soon." With that, Zoe turned away and left, but Gillian could see her wiping away the tears.

"I'm walking up to security with you." Cal announced.

"Dad, you know you can't go through with me." Emily said.

Cal nodded. "Yes, but I can stay in line with you up until they ask for a boarding pass." Emily and Gillian laughed. "I'm just not ready to say goodbye yet." Cal said sheepishly.

Emily gathered her Dad into a big hug. "Okay." She agreed into his ear. The three of them walked over to the security line and waited. Emily handed her phone to Cal. "Can you take a picture of me in my outfit? I want Jessica to know what I am wearing today, so it's easier to spot me!" Cal nodded, and took a few pictures of her, some serious, some silly. He gave the phone back. She hugged him again, and they held on to each other through half of the line, in awkward silence. Neither one of them wanted to say goodbye, and they both stayed quiet, afraid of crying, and just enjoying each other for as long as possible.

Gillian thought it was nice to see Cal like this. For the tough façade he always put up around everyone else, he was such a teddy bear when it came to his daughter. Gillian snapped a few candids while they weren't paying attention. They waited until they were three away from the TSA agent, and Emily turned suddenly toward Gillian. She wrapped Gillian in one of the largest hugs she had ever given the woman, and Gillian embraced her back just as hard. "You take care of Dad, okay?" Gillian laughed and held back her tears. "No, I'm serious. I've been telling him for years that he's lost without me, and we both know it's true, so you have to keep an eye on him!" Gillian laughed harder.

"Keep an eye on yourself." Gillian finally answered. She kissed the teen's cheek. Cal and Gillian stepped out of line, and Emily passed through the checkpoint alone. They watched her put her carry-on on the belt, and take off her shoes. She turned around and waved one last time, and walked through the metal detector, disappearing in front of them.

Gillian knew Cal would never cry in front of his daughter. She also knew now that Emily was gone, he would be inconsolable. She reached out for him and embraced him. He cried silently into her shoulder while she rubbed his back. She held back her own tears, staying strong for him. She had known Emily for around ten years, and she was torn up inside about her leaving. She could only imagine what Cal was going through, watching his baby leave for college without him.

They stayed in this position for a good five minutes before moving, Cal finally lifting his head from Gillian's shoulders. He took her hand and they walked toward the car together. As usual, Cal opened the passenger side door, and was surprised to see Gillian hopping in the driver's seat. "You're upset, so I'm driving home." Cal opened his mouth, but Gillian interrupted him. "No arguing. I can get us home." He knew there was no arguing with her once her mind was made up, so he sat down in the passenger seat, and held his tongue. Gillian turned the radio to music he would like, and started to drive.

Cal stayed glued to his phone for most of the trip. Gillian heard it going off again and again. "You do realize that once she's in the air, she won't be able to answer you, right?" Gillian teased. Cal stuck his tongue out at her, in true Emily fashion.

"I just don't want her to forget me." He finally answered after a long silence.

"Cal. You realize how ridiculous that sounds? How could she forget you, you raised her for eighteen years." He nodded silently. Gillian understood that he couldn't be reasoned with today. "I'll tell you what. When we get home, we can make a paper chain counting down the days until she comes home. Sound good?" She teased him some more, and he grinned from ear to ear.

"Alright luv, let's go home."


	30. Chapter 30

Gillian had spent all day cleaning the house before she realized it would just be a mess within ten minutes of Erin and Felix being there. Honestly, without Emily popping in every few days, she and Cal had slacked a bit with the cleaning. Dishes were piled in the sink, and blankets were strewn all over the couch in the living room. Gillian had cleaned up all of that and vacuumed the entire house before she realized it would just get messy again. Gillian sat down, defeated and turned on the television. She briefly looked at whatever was recorded, finding only episodes of things she could watch with Cal. She finally settled on an episode of Law and Order: SVU, and relaxed, Lucy in her lap, waiting for her guests.

The episode was really good, Gillian didn't know who to believe, both the accuser and the defendant were believable. The show even left it up for debate, not revealing the jury's decision. As soon as the episode ended, and right on time, there was a knock on the front door. Gillian opened it, and was greeted by her best friend and a smiling chubby baby. "Hi!" Gillian exclaimed loudly, a huge smile on her face. Felix cooed and reached out for her, and Gillian gladly took him out of Erin's hair. Gillian bounced the baby naturally on her hip. "How is my favorite little man?" She asked.

"Cranky. He's popping another tooth." Erin responded, dropping the diaper bag on the floor. "Do you mind holding onto him for a second? I need to grab the pack and play from the car, since we are going to be busy."

"Twist my arm!" Gillian replied. Erin smiled, kissed Felix's head and walked out the door again. Gillian walked into the living room with Felix, chatting with him along the way. "I see you've popped some teeth already! Look at you, all grown up and charming. You will be a lady killer, Mom has to watch out!" The whole time, Felix had a toothy grin on his face, and didn't remove his eyes from her.

"Oh, they both have me worried." Erin answered, appearing with the blue pack and play.

Gillian laughed. "Yeah, Kiley looks more and more like you every time I see her. She will be a heartbreaker."

Erin just shook her head. "I think she looks like Logan. Either way, she's a pretty girl, and Logan is going to be fighting off the boys!" They laughed, and Erin unpacked the pack and play, placing some toys and books inside of it. Gillian put Felix down inside of it. "He's good for the most part about keeping himself busy. I'll stay here, you go get the stuff we need!" Gillian nodded, and watched Erin crouch down to engage her son. Gillian left and went to the bedroom, grabbing multiple bags filled with silk flowers. She brought those down to the living room, and went back upstairs to grab the box of vases.

Back downstairs, Erin was sorting through the flower bushes. Gillian plopped down the box of vases next to her friend. "How many of these are we making?" Erin asked.

"Ten. They shouldn't take long." Gillian answered. She started arranging the flowers into piles. "Three orange rose bushes in each vase. Then, take five or six of these twigs, and stick them right in the middle." Gillian demonstrated. "When we get all of that done, we can pull out the hot glue for the bows!"

"It looks exciting!" Erin teased.

"Yeah, yeah. I know it's boring. That's why I wanted help." Gillian explained. They were both arranging the orange rose bushes in the vases. "What's new with you?" Gillian asked.

"Well, Kiley just started kindergarten, and they love that she can already read." Erin smiled and sat up straighter, she was proud of her daughter. "And you've seen my little charmer!" She cooed into the pack and play, and Felix screeched with excitement. She shifted slightly. "Logan and I are having a few issues though. We just aren't connecting like we used to."

Gillian stopped what she was doing and looked at her friend. "Why are you having trouble connecting?"

"I don't know." She dropped everything in her hands. "One minute were fine, the next were fighting. We never finish discussions because the kids need us, and then it festers, and then it becomes a full on argument. I just don't know what to do anymore."

Gillian was silent for a minute, making sure her friend was all done. "Okay, first, you should see a marriage counselor. That's uninterrupted, so you don't let these things build up. Second, I take my nieces for Nick and Nancy every other Saturday so they can have a date night. Maybe I can take Kiley and Felix for you two! We just need to pick a time!"

Erin shook her head. "I wouldn't want to impose. We can hire a sitter."

"Nonsense!" Gillian grabbed Erin's hand. "Don't pay anyone, just leave money for pizza. You know I love your kids. You and Logan deserve a few nights out! It's no trouble at all."

Erin threw her hands up in the air, defeated. "Okay! We will work it out! Thank you for that, Gill." She picked up her flowers again. "Have you and Cal talked any more about fostering?"

Gillian nodded. "We've talked, but we haven't even looked at the application because we've been too busy with this wedding planning!" She answered truthfully. The application was out on the island in the kitchen, and they hadn't looked past the first page. "It's still something we plan on pursuing, I just think we are waiting a bit."

"Sounds good! One big life change at a time!" Erin laughed, and Felix joined in from his pack and play.

"Oh, that's funny, huh?" Gillian crooned and he grinned. He turned back to his toys, ignoring them again.

"What else do you need before the big day? Two months, right?"

"Yes! I need a photographer, and we need to find a justice of the peace. And we need to get decorations, but my mom and brother will take care of actually decorating for it." Gillian answered, rattling off a to-do list in her mind.

"That's what I meant to tell you!" Erin exclaimed, suddenly. "Gill, grab your computer. I need to show you something."

"Can this wait? I was in the zone!"

Erin rolled her eyes at her friend. "No, this can't wait, it's important, and you know I'll forget again!" Gillian laughed and nodded in agreement. She stood up, and headed upstairs. While she was gone, Erin scratched Lucy behind the ear. She had been very interested in Felix earlier. But now the puppy was asleep, curled into a little ball next to the pack and play.

Gillian reappeared, handing her laptop to Erin. Erin opened it and began typing. "Lucy is sweet! Remind me later to talk Logan into getting a puppy." She said as she typed.

Gillian laughed. "Yes, she is sweet. Everyone who meets her gets one. Ria and Alex have one now, named Max."

"I want a girl, and I want to name her Dotty. Here!" She turned the laptop around so that Gillian could see. "Look through the pictures. This is my friend from work, Carol's son, Joel. He is going to school for photography, and is looking to add more to his portfolio. He can do pictures for cheap!"

Gillian looked through the photos, and really liked what she saw. They reminded her of some of the pictures Emily liked to take, except more professional looking. "These do look great. I'll talk it over with Cal, and let you know soon." She closed the laptop, and pushed it away from her. The centerpieces they were working on were almost done. Gillian had premade ten bows. She wrapped brown ribbon around each of the vases, and attached a bow to each. They looked beautiful.

Erin grabbed a now fussy Felix out of his pack and play. She bounced him on her knee while She and Gillian caught up more on the couch. "How has it been being Emily free?"

"Strange." Gillian brushed a stray hair out of her face and behind her ear. "I mean, she wasn't always here to begin with, but she used to come and go, sometimes without warning. It's been strange knowing she can't just pop in whenever. I miss her though!"

Erin nodded. "I bet. I'm really not looking forward to when these two leave for college. That's really why I need a puppy! I'll probably get three puppies!" The women laughed, and Felix giggled along with the noise.

"I know! I guess I always knew Cal would take Emily leaving for college hard, but I never expected to see it from this angle either." Erin rolled her eyes. "What?" Gillian asked.

"We all knew you would end up with Cal eventually. I remember listening to you talk more about him than you did your actual husband at the time!" Gillian shook her head at this. "I know you don't believe this! But I always knew you two would end up together. And I know that other people weren't surprised either. Ria told me herself, She said there was a pool at the office! The only people who didn't see this coming were you and Cal."

Gillian was quiet. She had heard this a few times over the last year. "Why do you think I didn't see it?" She asked, finally.

"That stupid wall you put up, preventing him from being let in. You do that with people a lot, Gill, especially people you care about. How long did it take me to break down your walls? Yes, you are great friends with Ria now, but you had to meet at a bar, and you drank, and that made it easier. But you are not the best at letting people in." They were silent for a moment. "But I'm glad you finally let him in. That wall you put up when you are around new people is thinner now, easier to break. He's done something to you, and it's changed you for the better."

"He makes me feel good." Gillian answered, quietly. "He accepts me for me, and I accept him for him. We both knew what we were getting, and neither of us cared. And we have that total honesty policy, we don't lie. We see enough lies every day, we don't need them at home too. I don't know how any of this makes me a more open person, but something about him does. I'm glad you can see it."

They both smiled at each other. Felix was getting steadily more fussy. "I think I should go soon. This won't end well if I try to keep him here."

Gillian picked up the boy, and hugged him close. "I will see you later, okay?" She kissed him on each of his cheeks, and he giggled. She tickled him and played with him until Erin was done packing up. "I'll walk out to the car with you, don't make two trips!" Erin nodded, and headed out to the car, and Gillian followed her, still playing with the toddler. Erin packed the pack and play, and Gillian hooked Felix into his seat. She closed the door and turned to her friend. "Thank you for all of your help, and for keeping me sane while I work!"

"No problem, any time!" They hugged each other.

"Please, talk to Logan, and take a night out. I would love to watch your kids for you!"

Erin laughed. "Okay. I'll call you." She pulled away from Gillian and got into her car, and drove away.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: I can't respond to reviewer Jessie, as they posted anonymously. I definitely plan to keep going through the wedding and beyond. Have you read my other LTM fic, The Bloody Game? This story is basically the backstory to that oneshot, and is a peek as to where I want to go with this. I have some really exciting stories planned, I hope. I am a college student, and it's the end of the semester. As it is, I have a huge group project due, and many papers to write, so updates are slower than I would like. Also, I have big events all planned out, but it's the weird filler in the middle where sometimes my muse gets away from me. I'm not really sure if a surprise baby is my plan, although I have thought about it. But I'm glad you enjoy it! Please continue to read, and review, review, review! To the other two people who always review, thanks! I'm glad you like it so much!**

* * *

Cal and Gillian walked up to Nick's door, ringing the bell. Cal held an Orange gift bag and Gillian held a purple one, one for each of the girls.  
"Who is it?" They heard a high pitched voice from the other side of the door.

"Cal and Gill!" They heard some shuffling, and the door opened. A girl with straight blonde hair opened it. "Hi, Jenelle! How are you?" Gillian asked. The walked in and slipped off their shoes, leaving them by the door.

"Good." Jenelle answered quickly, and ran off. Cal and Gillian laughed.

"You know her?" Cal asked Gillian, feeling a little confused.

"Yes. That's Nancy's brother, Charlie's little girl. I used to spend thanksgiving with them every year." Gillian explained.

Cal nodded his head. "That's right, I met her at Christmas, I remember now." Gillian laughed, and held back her jokes about him getting old. After all, she was only around five years younger than him, and her memory wasn't much better. They walked together into the kitchen, where all the kids were gathered. Gillian found her brother fast, and hugged him.

"Hi, Nick. How are you doing?"

"Alright, just a little overwhelmed." He answered as he grabbed some more plates from the cabinet. Cal took the purple present out of Gillian's hand and put them on the table with the rest of the gifts.

"How can we help" Cal and Gillian asked at the same time, and the three of them laughed.

"You two need to spend less time together! Actually, if one of you could grab the extra plastic silverware out of the closet, and someone else refill the ice container and bring out the other bottle of orange soda, that would be awesome." Nick answered, grabbing the plates and walking into the other room. Cal grabbed the silverware out of the closet and an extra packet of napkins, just in case. Gillian grabbed the ice and soda. They both spent enough time here that they moved about the kitchen with ease, finding everything that they needed.

When they walked into the dining room, it was overrun with little girls. Neither Cal nor Gillian recognized most of them, with the exception of Jenelle, Sarah and Sadie. There were probably ten other girls running around. The party was princess themed, and they were all wearing different colored foam cone hats, with tulle coming out of the tops of them. Cal saw a table set up on the left side of the room with different markers and foam shapes and letters, so that the girls could decorate their hats however they wanted. They placed the stuff they brought from the kitchen on the table. Sarah and Sadie noticed they were there for the first time. Sarah ran up to Cal, green princess hat in hand. She was rearing a pink princess dress with purple trim. Her hat was yellow, and covered with butterflies.

"Uncle Cal! Here! Decorate a hat!" She handed the hat to him, and he placed it on top of his head.

"How do I look?" He asked the girl, and she laughed. She pulled him by his hand to the table.

"You can put whatever you want on it." She gave him a horse shaped piece of foam. He peeled the paper off the back, and placed it on the very top of his crown. Sarah laughed.

Sadie gave Gillian a big hug. Her princess hat was pink, and covered on hearts and gold stars. She was wearing a pink princess dress with an orange sash and orange trim. Gillian pushed a stray curl out of the girl's face. "Happy birthday, princess!" Sadie grinned from ear to ear.

"Auntie Gill, did you make a hat yet?" She asked sweetly.

"Not yet, sweetie." Gillian looked over at the table. "Let's go now. It looks like Sarah is helping Uncle Cal, maybe you can help me!" Sadie nodded, and Gillian took her hand and walked over to the table with her.

"Auntie Gill!" Sarah squealed when she got to the table, and handed her a red hat. "You need to make a hat too!"

Gillian laughed at her niece's enthusiasm. "I know! Sadie is going to help me, because I can see you already helped Uncle Cal so well!" Sarah giggled in response. Cal's hat was covered in farm animals and frogs, with a few glitter stars in different places. He put the hat on his head.

"How do I look?" he asked.

Gillian laughed. "Beautiful, my dear." He rolled his eyes, and kissed her chastely. Sarah was already pulling on his sleeve, yanking him in another direction. Gillian focused her attention back to her hat. Sadie had pulled out ten red hearts and pink glitter stars.

"Is that what I am decorating with?" She asked Sadie softly.

"Yes. Then we can match! See?" She pointed to the hat on top of her head, and Gillian nodded. She started peeling paper off the back of the foam, and placing the hearts and stars all over her hat. When she was done, she twirled it around.

"Something is missing." She said to the girl, and Sadie looked up, puzzled. Gillian continued. "Well, we have all these hearts, and so much love, don't you think I should dedicate my hearts to some people?" Sadie smiled, and nodded. Gillian picked up a skinny, black magic marker, and took off the cap, putting it on the bottom of the marker so she wouldn't lose it. "Okay, which heart is yours?" She asked. Sadie picked out her favorite, and Gillian wrote her name in it.

"Can this one be Sarah's?" She asked, pointing to one near her name.

"Of course." Gillian wrote Sarah's name in that heart. "Now I need hearts for Cal and Emily. Can you pick those out?" Sadie smiled, and pointed out two more. "Okay. I need just one for Mom and Dad." Sadie picked one, and Gillian wrote Nick and Nancy in it. They picked out hearts for Erin, Kiley, Felix and her Mom, and Gillian was left with one more empty heart.

"Who else, Auntie? You can't leave it blank." Sadie told her matter-of-factly. Gillian slumped over, and formed the letters carefully. Sophie. It was four years later. It didn't hurt as much to think about as it used to, but it definitely still stung a bit. As far as Gillian was concerned, Sophie would always hold a very special place in her heart. Gillian smiled and put the completed hat on her head.

"How do I look?" She mirrored Cal's question to her, and Sadie laughed.

"Good! I like that we match." Sadie answered. She ran off to the table again, and Gillian was left alone. She wandered into the living room, where Cal and a lot of other parents were just sitting and talking. She found Cal deep in conversation with her mother. She sat down next to them on the couch.

"Hi, Mom. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good, Gill. How is the wedding planning going?"

It was a question Gillian had come to hate. Everybody seemed to ask it, and no one offered to help. People criticized her ideas, and offered their own, and very few actually helped her work things out. All it did was stress her out even more. Cal put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder, knowing her particular feelings on that question. "Fine Mom. How is Tom?" Gillian asked, dismissing the question.

"He's good, looking forward to meeting you guys." She brushed some of her long silver hair out of her face. "I've met his entire family, it's about time he met mine!" She stated. Gillian and Cal nodded in agreement.

"Why didn't he come today?" Asked Gillian.

Michelle just waved her hands, as if dismissing the question. "He had to work, I didn't want him to try and get it off. I didn't bother inviting him. He is all set to come to the wedding though." She answered.

Nick made his way into the living room. "It's time for cake, if anyone wants any!" He left again, and Gillian was the first person to follow him out of the room. Cal shook his head and laughed. He nudged Michelle, and pointed toward the door. "Are you as surprised as I am to see how quickly she got up?"

Michelle just laughed and shook her head. "Same old Gillybean!" They got up together, and went into the dining room. Gillian was already feasting on a large piece of chocolate cake. Cal stole a forkful, and she squinted her eyes at him. "Oy, Gill! Did you let the kids have some cake first?" He teased, enjoying his stolen morsel.

"Yes! I let the kids have cake first, I swear!" she insisted, and Cal laughed, shaking his head.

After cake, it was time to open presents. It was typical presents at a twin birthday party, they got two of just about everything. Some gifts were just addressed to both of them. They opened everything, and thanked each person, slowly showing that they would turn into polite young women.

Cal and Gillian had done their best to get the girls similar things, but still make it original, starting with the gift bags. Sadie's was orange, and Sarah's was purple. Inside, they each had a velvet poster to color in with their favorite animal, two different packages of embroidering thread for making friendship bracelets, and two different books showing how to make those bracelets. The gifts were just similar enough, but really highlighted the differences between the girls. The gifts from Nick and Nancy were the same way, just different enough, but similar. Soon, it was time for everyone to leave. They all left one by one, each girl saying goodbye, and each parent setting up different playdates and carpools. Gillian, Cal, and Michelle all stayed to help clean up.

Gillian was cleaning the hat table up when Nick appeared beside her. "Do you two want to stay for dinner? We are ordering pizza, and Mom is staying." Nick asked her.

She shook her head. "We need to let Lucy out, and since I watched the girls on a Friday last night, I missed my night out of dancing with my friends." She answered.

Nick nodded. "Okay. Cal said to check with you, so I guess I'll go let him know."

"It's alright, I heard her." Cal spoke up from the doorway. Nick left them alone, and walked into the kitchen. Cal put his arm around Gillian's back. "Are you about ready to go?" He asked her, leaning his head in close.

She nodded. "Yes. Let me just say my goodbyes." He nodded and released her, following her around, saying goodbye along with her. Sarah and Sadie hugged them both tightly, and didn't want to let go. "Thank you for the awesome posters." Sadie said.

Gillian smiled. "Well, thank Cal for the posters. He found them!" Sarah, who was already wrapped around Cal's neck, wrapped herself tighter. "Thank you!" she practically shouted in his ear. They finally were able to leave, and got into their car. Cal turned the radio on, and pulled out of the driveway.

"Lucy, and then bar?" He asked.

"Yes." Gillian confirmed.

* * *

They were the last of the group to arrive at the bar. Ria waved them over to a large table in the back. Cal and Gillian sat down opposite of Ria and Alex. "Sorry, we had to let Lucy out, and then Gillian had to change because she didn't want to come to a bar in yoga pants." Cal explained, and Gillian smacked his arm.

"No worries, we probably only got here ourselves about ten minutes ago, so it's not that bad." Carrie said. She was wearing a bright pink dress with short sleeves and a V-neck. Gillian really liked it. Ria was wearing a white t-shirt and a black vest, with black pants that hugged her curves. Her hair was down and straightened. Gillian was happy she had decided to dress up a bit, she didn't want to feel out of place.

"So what's new with everybody?" Gillian asked, looking around. Eli and Carrie went on and on about whatever new and exciting thing had happened in their lives. Eli's mom retired and his Sister got engaged. Carrie had funny stories about her students. They talked for a long time.

Cal couldn't take it anymore. "Listen up." He pointed at Ria and Alex. "I know I promised not to do this, but you haven't spoken a word since we got here. You two are hiding something." They grinned, and looked toward each other, smiling. "Care to share with the class?" Cal finished.

Ria looked at the group, beaming. "You guys are the first to know, other than us, of course. Guys, I'm pregnant." The whole table started cheering, and Ria and Alex held each other's hands. Gillian got up and ran to the other side, wrapping her friend in a tight hug.

"I'm so excited for you two!" She squealed, patting the younger woman's back. She let go, and went to sit back down next to Cal.

"Seriously, that will be the cutest baby ever! Between the two of you? Watch out!" Carrie said, and everyone laughed.

"I'll buy the first round!" Eli announced. He pointed at Ria. "Except for you. I'll buy you a Diet Coke."

"Thanks for watching out for me, Dad." She retorted.

Gillian beamed the whole time. It was about time someone at the Lightman Group had a kid they could bring with them. It was annoying sometimes, working with adults all day, and she missed the way that a child (or teenager in Emily's sake) could break up the monotony of payroll. She honestly couldn't wait to meet this little person.


	32. Chapter 32

Cal rolled over, keeping his eyes closed. It was a Saturday, a day off, and he could smell breakfast cooking. He smiled. That was nice of Gillian, to cook him breakfast. In just five short days, he would call her his wife, and he couldn't wait. He inhaled again, the aroma of bacon and coffee filling his nostrils. He sighed, and shifted towards the door.

"If you are still in bed, then who is making breakfast?" Gillian's voice in next to him startled him. He snapped open his eyes, and looked over to her side of the bed, wanting to make sure she was truly there. She was. They both sat up straight, not sure what to make of the situation. Cal heard the clanging of dishes on the table, and shortly afterward the sound of running water in the kitchen. Cal looked at Gillian and read fear in her face. He didn't know just how afraid she was. She was flashing back to when her house had been ransacked when those teens from the juvenile center were looking for the jeweled egg.

Cal grabbed her hand. "Listen, luv. It has to be someone we know. We aren't being robbed, they are cooking breakfast. So it has to be someone we know."

Gillian nodded, but she could hear the uncertainty in his voice. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and down the hall. She pointed at the door, and Cal nodded. They watched it together, silently. Gillian moved in closer to Cal, who put his arm around her, protectively, and positioned himself between Gillian and the door. The footsteps stopped right in front of the door, hesitating. The doorknob started to slowly turn. Gillian's heart felt like it would pop out of her chest, and Cal tightened his grip around her. The door opened slowly, and a familiar brunette poked her head in. Cal immediately relaxed. "Em?"

The door opened, and the teen came bouncing in. "I was hoping you would still be asleep so I could jump on the bed and wake you two up! Why didn't you come down?"

Gillian threw a pillow at the teen. "We thought you were an intruder! You gave me a heart attack!" Gillian laughed as she said it. She was truly happy to see the younger woman, but her heart was still racing.

"What are you doing here, I thought you were flying in on Monday?" Cal asked, pointing at her and squinting his eyes.

"I got an earlier flight, and wanted to surprise you guys!" She plopped down on the bed. "Breakfast is ready!" she announced.

"What about your classes?" Cal asked, ignoring her breakfast remark.

"Dad, don't worry! I handed in my assignments early, I have a friend taking notes, and one of my professors wants to see a wedding picture when I get back so I can prove that my absence should be excused. I'll be fine." She answered quickly. She tapped her Father's knee. "Now, hurry up, it's getting cold." She hopped out of bed, walking toward the door, not allowing there to be any further discussion on the matter.

Gillian watched her leave, shaking her head. She was happy Emily was home, but this morning had scared the crap out of her. She sunk her head into Cal's chest. She stroked her back and kissed her hair. "Alright, luv. Let's go down and get some breakfast. It smells amazing." He stood up and headed toward the door, listening to Gillian follow behind him. Downstairs, Emily had set the table and had everything all ready and waiting for them. Cal and Gillian sat down at their spots at the table. On their plates were scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon and toast. Cal dug in, and Gillian soon followed.

"Em, this is delicious, thank you!" Gillian said through mouthfuls of egg.

Emily laughed. "Thanks, Gill. Anytime!" They laughed. Emily ate a few bites of her own eggs before speaking up again. "I missed you guys! What's new?"

"Not much. Wedding plans, putting up out-of-country relatives, Ria's pregnant. That's about it." Cal explained fast.

"Ria's pregnant? That's awesome!" Emily squealed.

"I know, right?" Gillian joined in.

"Oh, Ria will have cute babies! I can't wait to meet him or her!"

"Neither can I!" Gillian exclaimed. She finished the last few bites of her breakfast. "So how do you like school?" she asked.

"It's good. I'm busy a lot, Jess and I get along, and I got a job at the school newspaper, so I will have experience when I graduate."

"That's great, luv." Cal said. "Have you met any boys? Do I need to kick some arse?"

"No. I honestly haven't been focusing on the boys." He watched her and could see she was being truthful. "I've been working and exploring California. You guys should come visit me out there sometime!"

Cal and Gillian smiled. "Maybe we will." Cal answered. They sat in silence for a bit longer. "Oh, where are you staying?" Cal asked.

"With Mom. I surprised her last night too!" Emily answered.

"That's good. I need your room this weekend to put up your cousins. George and Alice will stay in the guest room. We are going to have a full house for the next week." Cal responded.

Emily sat up straight. "When do they fly in?" she asked, excited.

"They should be here later today. George is getting a rental car and driving here, they'll probably be here in time for dinner."

"Can I stay for dinner?" Emily asked.

"Do you ever have to ask?" Came Gillian's response. Emily grinned. Gillian got up from her spot and took all the plates from the table. While she cleaned dishes, Cal got up to shower. Emily joined Gillian in the kitchen, to help clean things up.

"I'm sorry if I scared you this morning. I was just trying to surprise you guys, and I still have a key." Emily said softly.

Gillian turned off the water and dried her hands. She turned toward the teen and gave her a proper hug, wrapping her arms around Emily's neck. Emily hugged her back. "It was a nice surprise, even if I was afraid at first. You know you will always be welcome here, no matter how independent you get. I don't want you to feel like you can't come home every once in a while." They pulled away from their embrace, and smiled at one another. "So, I am going to go shower and get ready for our guests. You just do whatever it is you want to do. I'll see you in a bit." Emily nodded and headed toward the living room, and Gillian heard the familiar hum of the television.

When Gillian got upstairs, Cal was already out of the shower and dressed for the day. He was sitting on their bed with his laptop out, typing away. "What are you working on?" Gillian asked him.

"Paperwork from the latest case. I'm a bit behind, and there's a few hours until George gets here so I thought I'd catch up." He answered without looking up from his computer.

Gillian shook her head. "Okay. Well, I am going to shower, and then I am going to spend time downstairs with Emily while I can. I don't think she is coming home for Christmas, so I want to steal her now."

"Whatever you want to do, luv." Cal answered. Gillian headed to the bathroom. She showered quickly, and got out. She brushed her teeth, and combed her hair into position. Today was a lazy day, so she would let it air dry and curl naturally. She had been growing it out, and it was about three inches past her shoulders. After the wedding she planned on cutting it again to be a little less than shoulder length, but this would be nice for an up-do. She went back into her bedroom and changed into grey yoga pants and a pink, long-sleeved t-shirt. Cal was still sitting on the bed, typing away.

Downstairs, Emily was searching for something to watch on Netflix. She was curled up on the couch, a blue crochet blanket wrapped around her. She looked up when Gillian entered the room. "Anything good to watch on this?" She asked.

"Well, your Dad and I have started catching up on Warehouse 13, its pretty good. Also, if you have the stomach for it, The Walking Dead is pretty good too. I usually just pick something and try it out for a few episodes. If I hate it, I move on." Emily searched through a few more titles. She landed on Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23, and clicked on it. Gillian grabbed the other blanket and sat down next to Emily, curled up in a similar fashion.

Three episodes later they were still cracking up at the antics of Chloe, and feeling bad for poor June, stuck cleaning up the mess. Emily confirmed that they wanted to watch the next episode. "I would leave. If Jess pulled half of that crap Chloe pulled, I would leave." She spoke, still looking at the screen.

"You know, I had an awful roommate once." Gillian told her.

Emily looked at her. "You did? Was she like Chloe?"

Gillian nodded. "In some ways, yes. Her name was Amy. She used to come back drunk and expect to take care of her. She wasn't nice either. She was rude to me all the time, and loved to start fights. It was as if she didn't know how to live without drama in her life." Emily shook her head and rolled her eyes. "She used to bring guys back all the time, and I know she would sleep with them when she thought I was asleep. It was awkward and uncomfortable."

"That sucks!" Emily told her.

Gillian nodded. "That's actually how Erin and I got close. We had a few classes together, and listened to each other's crappy roommate stories." Emily laughed. "So as sophomores, we said, 'screw campus housing' and decided to get an apartment together off campus."

"That must have been fun, living with your best friend." Emily answered.

Gillian smiled. "At times, yes. It was great, even! But sometimes we saw too much of each other. Sometimes we wanted to rip the other person's head off. That was when we would stay somewhere else for the weekend, like go back to our parents. We actually got to a point where we could say to each other 'I've seen you too much, I'm sick of your face, I need to leave!'"

Emily started cracking up, and she was wiping tears from her eyes. "Sometimes I feel like that with Jess! Sometimes I love when she goes home without me!" She was smiling and laughing still.

"Good! That means you like her! Are you going to room together again next year?"

"I don't know, we haven't talked about it."

Gillian nodded, understanding. "Well, it seems like so far, you guys get along, which is rare. I think you are both lucky to have found a roommate so early on that you get along with, and probably shouldn't mess with that, you may not find someone better."

Emily grinned and nodded. "I may end up with Chloe!" They both laughed.

Cal hated paperwork. He tried his best on it, but it was never really good enough. All the words were starting to blend together, and he was losing his concentration. On top of that, he kept hearing wild laughter from the living room. This was important, but he really wanted to know what was up. He shook his head and started typing again, trying to block the laughter out of his head. He got out a few sentences before he heard Gillian's musical laughter from downstairs again, and he couldn't help but smile. He could just picture the look on her face, mouth wide open and turned up at the corners, wrinkles in the corners of her eyes, and he couldn't help but smile too. He sighed and closed his laptop. He would do paperwork tomorrow, today he wanted to spend time with his girls.

He walked down to the living room and just watched them silently for a minute. He loved how Gillian had just merged perfectly into both of their lives. With both Gillian and Emily lounging on the couch, both wrapped in blue crochet blankets, it just looked like life had always been that way. He watched them for a few seconds more, until it was time to make his presence known.

"Oi! How's a bloke supposed to get any work done with the two of you down here making all this racket?"

Emily and Gillian looked over at him, still holding back their laughter. Emily waved him over.

"Dad! Come sit and watch this with us!" She rearranged herself and patted the couch next to her. Cal walked over and sat down in between the two women, snuggling up with his daughter. She briefly explained the backstory, and they continued the episode. Cal was laughing right along with them. This show was so ridiculous, it was funny. They sat together for another four episodes, and made it halfway through the next one when Cal heard a car door slam shut outside of the house. Emily turned off the TV, and they all jumped up. While Gillian and Emily folded the blankets they had been using, Cal rushed to the door. Gillian followed after him. She watched him open the door, and rest against the door jam.

"Oi! Georgie!" He called out to the people Gillian couldn't see.

"Calvin!" She heard a deep, British voice reply. She saw the smile plastered on her fiancé's face as he walked across the porch to embrace his brother.

Emily went rushing by Gillian. "Uncle George!" She cried out, joining the hug. Gillian watched them pull apart from the doorway.

George looked a lot like Cal, except a bit taller and with softer features. His brown hair was shaggier and parted to the side, and he had a widow's peak. George looked Emily up and down. "Bloody hell, Em, you grew up! Last time I saw you, Thomas was two!" Emily grinned at the thought. Gillian looked over and saw Cal's nephews. She knew that Thomas was the younger one, nine, and Lawrence was the older one, thirteen. Lawrence looked just like his father but with darker hair, and Thomas looked like a really good mix between George, and his mother, Alice. Alice had long, straight black hair, and soft features on a round face. While the boys were on their kneed playing with an escaped Lucy, Alice smiled at Gillian waiting in the doorway.

"Hello!" Alice called, waving. "You must be Gillian. It's nice to finally meet you."

Gillian smiled back at the woman. "You too!" she called back.

George let go of Emily's hands and walked up to Gillian. Gillian stuck out her hand for him to shake it, and he surprised her with a hug. "We are family now, and family hugs." She stated. She laughed and hugged him back. He pulled away. "The pictures Cal sends don't do you justice. You are beautiful, and it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Well, Cal has never shown me a picture of you, so unfortunately I can't say the same." Gillian responded.

George laughed. He pointed at her. "This one's sassy! I like her!" He said to Cal. They all laughed.

Gillian moved out of the doorway. "Come one in! It's cold out and the heat is escaping!" Gillian gestured in, and a parade of people entered her house. Lucy followed the boys, excited to have new friends to play with. Gillian shut the door behind them and smiled, this next week was going to be great!


	33. Chapter 33

Gillian heard the racket coming from the kitchen. Cal had commandeered the kitchen pretty much from the moment his family had arrived. Gillian was doing her best to keep them entertained while they waited. The awkward pauses in conversation were usually filled with the boys asking questions about Lucy, and TV in the states. Gillian had turned on some cartoons as appropriate background noise. She and Alice looked at each other, but neither had anything to say. It was Emily who finally broke the silence.

"Uncle George, Grandpa didn't fly out with you?" She asked. She was sitting on the floor at Gillian's feet, allowing the guests to occupy the space on the furniture.

"No, luv. I think he flies out tomorrow." He answered.

"Monday, actually. Cal has made arrangements to pick him up, since he has to leave work." Gillian corrected and George nodded.

"How is work going, by the way?" Alice asked from the other side of the room.

Gillian smiled. "Really great! Cal's last book brought us a lot of business. Also, we are thinking of picking up a contract with the FBI again, and maybe the Secret Service, which could be really interesting." She gushed. Contracts with large government agencies were great, brought in a lot of money, and brought challenging cases. She watched as George and Alice nodded, blank looks on their faces. Thomas and Lawrence looked very confused. She laughed to herself. "I forgot, you have different names for them!" She addressed the boys, who looked confused but interested. "Basically, the FBI does a lot of work against terrorism. The Secret Service protects the President."

"Kind of like the MI6!" Thomas clarified.

Gillian smiled and nodded. "Exactly!" Thomas beamed, happy to have made the connection to an organization he recognized.

Emily looked up at Gillian. "Does that mean you and Dad will get to meet the president?" She asked.

Gillian shrugged. "I don't know. I'll keep you posted."

"You better!" Emily replied, and everyone laughed.

"It sounds like it's going great then!" George added, and Gillian nodded. Another uncomfortable silence ensued. Gillian twisted her engagement ring around her finger. She heard more clanging from the kitchen. George laughed. "It seems like Cal hasn't changed."

"What do you mean?" Gillian asked.

George gestured toward the kitchen, where they could hear Cal cooking. "He was always the cook. I can see that hasn't changed."

Gillian laughed and shook her head. "Nope, that hasn't changed. It's a good thing though, because if it were up to me, I'd have chocolate for every meal. Cal keeps me healthy!"

They all laughed. "There's nothing wrong with chocolate every day!" Alice added.

George laughed harder. "Gill, if you love chocolate half as much as this one," He pointed at his wife, "Then you two will get along perfectly!"

Gillian flapped her hand while they were laughing, trying to get their attention. She regained her composure. "Thursday I am making my favorite chocolate cake recipe, triple chocolate cake with a hint of raspberry. Alice, you should try it!"

Alice's eyes grew wide. "Oh, that sounds delightful! I can't wait to try that!"

Gillian smiled. "That is, if I can steal the kitchen from Cal for a bit. I know he has been planning this Thanksgiving for quite some time."

George nodded. "Yeah, he told me about that. Who exactly can I expect to see that day?"

"Well, my brother, his wife and the girls will be there. You four of course, the three of us," She circled a finger around where Emily was sitting, and continued counting off people on her other hand. "My Mom, My Dad and Jeanne, your Dad, and Zoe and Tony. So seventeen people." She looked around, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "I hadn't actually counted all of that before, I don't know where we are going to fit everyone."

"Don't worry, Gill, We can eat in shifts. It's not a big deal, there is a lot going on this week." George lowered his voice in an attempt to soothe Gillian. It was working, she wasn't as pent up. There were a lot more people than usual that she would have to think about.

Emily spoke up from the floor. "I'm bored, I want to do something. Lawrence, Thomas, I have some games in my room. Want to come play?" She asked the boys, who also weren't being engaged by the conversation.

Lawrence looked relieved. "Yes!"

"Can Lucy come in your room?" Thomas asked. He had taken a liking to the dog, scratching her stomach, and Lucy was really enjoying his company.

"Of course she can. She likes you!" Emily answered. They all stood up and followed Emily out of the room, Lucy at the heels of her new friend. Gillian watched the pup chase them and laughed. She turned back to their guests.

"So. I get the pleasure of conversing with Zoe again?" George asked, as soon as Emily had left the room.

Gillian nodded. "She likes family holidays, she likes everyone to be together. Cal did it every year after they divorced, and last year I was included. It was awkward, and I didn't feel welcome. But, it's for Emily's benefit, and I would do anything for that girl, so this year, we invited Zoe here." George was nodding, understanding, and he was smiling almost with admiration. "You know, we just have so much going on this week, and didn't want to inundate Zoe's house with all sorts of British relatives."

George laughed. "That's great, that you endure Zoe for Emily. You really love her, don't you?"

Gillian nodded. "I have known her for almost ten years, I love her so much. I don't think anyone quite understands the unique bond I have with her. I don't even understand it sometimes."

George nodded. "Well it's clear to see. I applaud you for putting up with that woman, I never liked her." He wrinkled his nose, as if he smelled something vile.

Gillian shook her head. "Me neither. I was glad when Cal cut ties to her office. She was the worst when we had to work cases together."

"She was probably just jealous." Alice said. "She knew Cal was closer to you than to her, and she hated that."

"You think?" Gillian asked.

Alice nodded. "I know. Cal told us for years how close you two were, and even when he was married, he told you more than he told her." Alice was quiet, watching Gillian's face. She hadn't known that.

"I always knew Cal and I were close, and that he has loved me for a very long time, but I didn't know it went back that far." Gillian said quietly.

George just nodded in response. There were a few moments of awkwardness again before he spoke. "I hate to stress you out more, but since you are counting people for thanksgiving, you need to add one more." Gillian looked at him, intrigued and confused. "I didn't want to be the bearer of strange news, and I have been telling Dad for the last few years that he needed to tell Cal, but he has gotten remarried, and his new wife is also coming with him." Gillian sat back, eyes wide with surprise. George continued. "Her name is Maisie, she is really sweet, but for some reason, Dad hasn't told Cal yet."

Gillian shook her head. "I'm not sure I want to break that news to him. I don't know how he'd take it."

"Take what?" Cal's voice shocked them all and they jumped. They hadn't heard him come out of the kitchen. He was looking at Gillian, head cocked to the left, something he did when he was trying to read people.

Gillian shook her head. "Cal, you don't need to do that, we have an honesty policy, remember?" She watched realization come across his face. When Cal was on the hunt, he didn't always know it, and he tended to slip into that mode absentmindedly every once in a while.

"Sorry, luv." He said. He looked around at the group. "What's going on then?" He asked.

George spoke first. "I hate to be the one that drops this bomb, let alone twice in one day, but I know the impact on you will be bigger than it was on Gill. Dad got remarried."

Cal was silent for a bit. "When?" He finally asked.

George was quiet. "Around three years ago."

Cal shook his head. "Well then, I guess if he doesn't want to include me in his life, I don't have to include him in mine." He stormed back to the kitchen. George started to follow him, but Gillian made it to the doorway first.

"Let me." She gently pushed George away from the door, and entered the kitchen. Cal was banging away at a steak with the meat tenderizer. She walked up behind him. "Cal? We can't uninvited your father, it's too late, he already bought his plane ticket."

"Tickets." Cal corrected, not looking up. He put down the meat tenderizer. "I just, ugh. I…"

Gillian pulled him so he was looking at her. She pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back. She wanted to relieve the tension. She pulled away from the embrace, and cupped his face in her hands. "Use your words." She told him.

He broke into a grin, in spite of his efforts. She always made him feel better. "I just wish he had told me." He said finally. "No, we barely ever talk, but he still could have told me."

Gillian stroked his cheek. "Maybe he was worried you wouldn't approve? Let's face it, you two don't have the healthiest relationship. Maybe he figured it wouldn't go well."

"And springing her on me is that much better?" He asked, raising his voice.

Gillian moved her hands from his face to his shoulders. "No. But you should give her a chance. Or at least pretend for the wedding. It's not worth getting all worked up about, and I really want to meet your Dad at least once."

Cal sighed and nodded. "Okay. I will try, and I will listen to him. What do you know about this woman?"

"I think George said her name was Maisie? But nothing other than that. You should really talk to him about it."

He nodded. "I think I will. Dinner is almost ready, we can probably set the table." With that they set off, each grabbing different things and working together to set seven places at the dinner table. Gillian wondered again how she would fit ten more. They called down the boys and Emily, and all sat down. Cal brought out his favorite pasta dish, penne noodles with sausage, tomato sauce cheese, and sour cream, and placed it in the middle of the table. "Dig in."

They did, and soon everyone was eating silently. It was Emily's favorite meal, and she had missed it so much. "Dad, I was trying to explain this to Jess's Mom, can you email me the recipe so I can pass it on?"

Cal nodded. "Of course, luv."

George spoke up. "So, Emily, how long does it take to get to your campus?"

"Around six hours or so by plane. I've missed Dad and Gill a ton, and it's nice to be home!" She answered.

George nodded. "And, if I remember correctly, you are studying journalism?" Emily nodded in response. "What would you like to do with that?"

Emily swallowed her mouthful of pasta. "I want to do print journalism, but I'm thinking of taking a few broadcast classes and photojournalism classes just so I have a wide array of skills." She answered.

"I've seen the pictures you take, I especially love the ones of Cal and Gill. You're very good at it." Alice told the teen.

"Your Dad has forwarded me a few of your published articles. They're always great to read. I think journalism is a good choice for you." George continued.

Emily was blushing. "Thanks."

"Oh!" Gillian exclaimed suddenly, waving her arm at Alice. "I forgot to tell you. My sister in law, Nancy, she said she can take the boys on Tuesday night if you two would like to join Cal and I for our parties."

Alice smiled. "That sounds great. You said your brother has kids, right?"

Gillian nodded. "Yes, Sarah and Sadie, and they are both eight years old."

Alice smiled, and stroked Thomas's hair. "That sounds lovely. Would that be alright, for you two to stay with Gill's nieces so Mum and Dad can go out?" The boys nodded. "Sounds like a plan." She finished, smiling at Gillian.

"Now, Lawrence, I hear you are really good at football. Tell me more about that." Cal said, addressing his oldest nephew. Lawrence smiled and started talking, and Gillian took it all in. Even though it had been awkward at first, she felt so accepted by this family. She smiled to herself. Despite the few hiccups along the way, this would be a good week.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N Sorry, I got all caught up in finals and now I am working myself crazy, and haven't had much time to write. I promise I did not abandon this story, and more will come as soon as I am able!**

Emily sat in the passenger side of her Dad's car, watching his peculiar mood. His fingers were constantly moving, and he kept changing the radio station, like he couldn't settle on one thing to listen to. On top of all that, he was silent. Her Dad was never silent. Gillian had filled her in on everything, about her Grandfather and Maisie, and Emily couldn't blame her father for being a bit nervous and angry. She didn't know how she would cope if her Dad had married someone and never told her, although she would be more worried about her mother pulling a stunt like that. She watched her Dad change the radio station again, and she reached over to shut it off.

"Dad, I can't handle your song ADD today. If you can't listen to a complete song, you can't listen to anything." She admonished.

Her Dad was silent. She hadn't really expected much. She was on this ride with him to keep him somewhat sane on the trip to the airport to pick up her Grandfather and Maisie. She pulled out her phone and went on Facebook, checking in on her friends in California.

"I'm sorry, Em." She heard from the seat next to her, her Dad's sudden utterance making her jump. "I'm just a little upset."

She nodded. "I get it. I'm glad you and Gill include me in everything." She was. It felt great to know that her ideas were not just heard, but important to everyone.

"Well of course I include you in my life. You are my daughter, and ever since the day you were born, you have been the most important person in my life." She chuckled quietly at this statement. Cal shook his head. "Don't laugh, it's true."

"More important than Gill?" Emily challenged.

Cal nodded. "Of course. You are my child, my main priority and my greatest accomplishment. And I can't imagine making a huge decision and life change without including you. And he left me out." He was quiet for a bit longer. "We never had a good relationship. When I was younger he drank and beat me, George, and your grandmother. He has since stopped drinking, and got help for his anger but by then it was too late for him to relate with me, I had already written him off." He sighed. "We write, and I keep him updated with whatever is going on in my life. I thought it was improving at least a little. But would it have ever been so hard to write me back and say, 'Oh, Cal, I forgot to mention, I got married!' I mean, what's the worst thing I could do to him?"

Emily reached out her hand and grabbed his shoulder, squeezing it and reassuring him. "Thank you for including me." She whispered. She didn't know how to react after his rant, and that seemed to be the best she could come up with.

Cal smiled. "You know, I never had a good role model to show me how to be a good father. But I swore that whatever he did, I would do the opposite. And I think you're incredible." He looked at her and grinned. Now Emily was quiet. She felt special for being allowed to glimpse this part of her father's life. But she felt like so much information was being thrown at her. She knew her Father and Grandfather had a strained relationship, but she had never known it was that bad until now. He rarely heard about his life as a child, and assumed it wasn't all great. It wasn't until recently that she learned about her Grandma Louise's suicide. She liked that her father protected her, but she liked being in the loop more.

At the airport, they waited at the baggage claim. They found the concourse for her Grandfather's flight quickly, and they waited by the wall near the bathrooms. Emily noticed her Grandfather first. He was taller than Cal and stood up straight, without slouching. The bald spot on top of his head shone, and white hair on the sides was perfectly trimmed. He was grasping tightly on to the hand of a woman who was much shorter than him. Her white hair was wavy and sat at her shoulders. She was wearing too much make up, and had a bright colored jeweled barrette in her hair. She had a very kind smile, and Emily smiled in spite of the awkward situation she knew would follow. She waved at them. "Grandpa, over here!"

He looked over at the young woman, who was flying toward him, and smiled when she wrapped him in a hug. "My God, you have gotten huge! Last time I saw you I think you were thirteen and awkward!" Emily was smiling. It was true, she had last seen her Grandfather the same time she met her cousins, around seven years ago when her Dad had taken her to England.

"Last time I saw you, you had more hair." She answered. The woman with him roared with laughter.

"You were right, Rupert, this one is cheeky!" She said, grabbing on to his arm. He leaned in towards her a bit.

Emily stuck out her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Emily, but you can call me Em if you'd like."

The woman shook it and smiled at Emily warmly. "Hello Em, I'm Maisie." She replied. Emily smiled back at this woman who seemed genuinely kind and excited to be here. She then looked around, assuming her Dad had followed her. Instead, she found him in the same place she left him, head tilted to the right and eyes squinted, taking in whatever information he could about Maisie, getting to know her before even saying a word. She knew this could put people off, especially new family members, and it wasn't a good way for him to begin his relationship with his step mother. She shook her head, and waved him over. "Dad. Over here." He revealed few emotions in his face, but Emily had picked up a few tricks. She could tell he was annoyed by her brining attention to him. He walked over to them slowly, head still tilted and eyes still squinted, but to a lesser degree, as if he was trying to hide the fact that he was reading everyone. Emily wrapped herself around his arm, as if she was roping him in. He stayed silent, waiting for someone to make the first move.

Her grandfather reached out his hand first, thrusting it toward Cal. "It's nice to see you again." He said, looking Cal straight in the eye. Emily was impressed, he didn't seem intimidated at all by Cal.

Cal grabbed his father's hand, but instead of shaking it, pulled him in for a hug. "It's great to see you too, Dad." Just then, the buzzer at the baggage claim went off, alerting the waiting passengers that their bags would soon arrive. Cal waved quickly at Maisie. "Hello, Maisie, it's nice to finally meet you. I would chat more, but I think we should head over and try to get your stuff."

Maisie smiled warmly. "That sounds like a most excellent plan." Emily smiled. When Maisie talked, it reminded her of Julie Andrews. They all headed over to the belt, where bags had started appearing. They made small talk about the flight and the weather while they waited. After what seemed lie one hundred bags had passed, Maisie finally recognized their bags. Emily was glad for the distraction, small talk was boring.

Emily carried one bag and Cal carried the other while they led their guests back to the car. Emily hopped in the front again while her Grandfather and Maisie took up the backseat. She wasn't sure if she should turn on music. On one hand, she figured they would talk. But on the other, she hated the awkward silence of a car without music playing. It just seemed off. She turned the radio on, but turned the volume down so she could at least hear it.

Maisie was the first to speak up. "So, can you also detect lies Emily?" She asked.

Emily watched her father roll his eyes, she knew this was one of his least favorite questions. But Emily understood that people didn't know the science. "Not really. Dad has studied this for years, it's not a skill I can inherit. But I have definitely picked up a few tricks." She answered.

"What kind of tricks?" Maisie asked.

"Like, I can recognize a deflection. For example, if I ask you 'did you take the last cookie?' and you answer with 'why, are you hungry?' that's a deflection, and you are most likely lying. Also, my Dad, who is extremely hard to read, well, I can pick up some of his emotions, and some of the more obvious ones on everybody. Dad is way better at it than I am though." Cal beamed with delight at his daughter. He was very impressed by what she had managed to pick up.

"She's too smart for her own good, Cal. Much like you I'm afraid." Her Grandfather said, and she laughed. She could just see her Dad at her age, spouting off seemingly nonsensical things, when it actually made perfect sense.

Cal nodded. "Yep. I've got my work cut out for me, I suppose. Except, now she's out in this world all by herself, and I don't need to deal with it anymore." Emily dropped her mouth in fake shock and smacked his arm. He feigned pain, and they both laughed.

It was quiet for a while before Cal spoke again. "I hope you two don't mind, but I am going to stop by the office before I bring you home."

"Do you have to finish something up?" Rupert asked.

Cal shook his head. "No, Gill has it covered, she is there now tying up loose ends on our cases, and figuring out what cases to let Torres and Loker handle. But she doesn't want to wait to meet you, so we will meet her there."

"Oh, that sounds like a lovely idea," Maisie said, grabbing Emily's shoulder, "Don't you think?"

Emily nodded. "I like visiting Gill at work. She is so excited to meet you guys!" They stayed quiet again until they pulled up to the Lightman Group. Maisie just looked at it in awe. From the outside, it looked big, but Emily knew it could be more intimidating on the inside. Emily was out of the car first. "Follow me!" She said, beckoning to the small group behind her.

Once inside, Emily waved to the newest receptionist, Carol. She didn't know why her Dad seemed to cycle through them so quickly sometimes. She walked the familiar pathway down to Gillian's office, and gently knocked on the door.

"Come in." She heard from inside. Emily opened the door, and Gillian was sitting at her desk with about six different papers spread out in front of her. She was wearing a navy blue form fitting dress with a boat neck. She had a string of pearls, and her long hair was straightened, and hung about four inches past her shoulders. She stood up when she saw the crowd forming in her office.

"You must be Gillian." Rupert said, holding out his hand. "I'm Rupert, Cal's father."

Gillian shook his hand firmly and smiled. "Of course! It's great to finally meet you." She smiled, but looked wary. Emily was pretty sure Gillian knew more that she did about her Dad's childhood, and was sure she was a little nervous. They released hands, and Gillian turned toward Maisie. "And you must be Maisie. It's so great to meet you too."

Maisie pulled Gillian into an embrace, rubbing her back and squeezing tightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"This is what Cal means when he tells me you are just tying up a few loose ends. It looks like you are overloaded. Cal, that's not a way to treat your fiancé!" Rupert lectured.

Gillian jumped to the rescue pretty quickly. "Actually, I was just looking over something in our contract with the justice department. I'm actually almost done."

Cal nodded. "Yeah, contracts are her thing, I don't get them too much."

"Yeah, and Cal does most of the fieldwork, and some of his own paperwork." Gillian continued.

Maisie looked perplexed. "Correct me if I am wrong. He went into business with you for your legal sense?"

Gillian laughed. "Not initially, but I think he realized his luck pretty quickly. No, I actually found his work very interesting, and we just clicked somehow. Also, I am more of an expert on vocal stress and things like that. You know, I never forget a voice."

Maisie shook her head. "That is incredible. Voices all sound the same to me, so I find that fascinating."

Gillian smiled. "Well, all voices have subtle differences. I pick up on those differences more than most, I guess." She gestured toward the couch in her office. "Would anyone like to sit? I feel awkward with us all crowding the door."

Cal answered. "Actually, luv, we need to get home. I have to start preparing dinner for all of our guests, and get the pull out couch ready for us tonight. So I'll take everyone home." Gillian nodded. Cal pushed past his father and walked toward Gillian, placing a quick, but chaste kiss on her lips. "See you soon, I hope?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes. I am honestly almost finished. Half an hour, tops." She answered, kissing him again. Cal touched her face with his hand, rubbing his thumb along her cheek. She smiled again in response, corners of her eyes crinkling, and her eyes lit up. These miniscule marks of affection made Emily's heart swell. She had never doubted her matchmaking abilities, and seeing them play out so well at home for two people she cared about so deeply made her happier than she ever thought she could be. She followed her dad's example, and wrapped Gillian in a large hug. Gillian responded, wrapping her arms around teenager's waist and rubbing up and down her back, squeezing hard and reminding Emily that Gillian cared about her too. This time, Cal of the way out of the Lightman Group, and back to the car.

Back at the house, Thomas and Lawrence were already outside, waiting for their return and playing with Lucy. When the car pulled up, they ran to it. "Mum, Dad! Grandpa and Maisie are here!" They ran to the car and threw open Maisie's door. The poor woman had trouble getting out, considering she had to try and move past two excited boys and one extremely excited jumping puppy. She hugged them each. "Hello, how are you boys? I've missed you!"

Emily laughed as she heard each of them talk at once, spouting off their new knowledge of the country they were visiting. Emily had taken them to a few landmarks in the capital, just like her Dad had taken her on a tour of London. She felt it was a nice gesture, and a good way to warm up to her cousins. Maisie stayed actively engaged in everything the boys were saying, even offering her own information when she could. Emily felt a pang of jealousy watching them interact, because she didn't have that relationship with Maisie or her Grandfather.

Emily swung her arm over her head. "Let's go inside, it's chilly out here!" Thomas ran toward the front door and Lucy followed right at his heels. Lawrence held on to Maisie's arm and led her inside. Emily looked toward her Father and Grandfather. "Dad, are you coming?"

He nodded. "In a second, luv, I need some air." He looked at his father. "You should follow Em inside."

Rupert shook his head. "I'll stay here with you and catch up a bit." Emily saw her Father shrug his shoulders and turn around, his back facing towards her. She shrugged hers as well and turned around, walking into her house. In the living room, the boys were chattering away to Maisie, speaking quickly about school, their flight, and what they had seen so far. She laughed as she watched Thomas try and show Maisie a trick that Lucy could do. She must be a Grandmother, because she related so well to the boys, she had to have some practice. Emily observed from the doors for a bit before Maisie noticed her standing there.

"Emily, why are you standing in the door like that? Please, come sit down." She patted the couch next to her. Emily smiled, and sat on the couch next to her. "I hear you are going to university in California. How far away is that?"

"It's all the way across the country, so I have to take a sixish hour plane ride to get there." She answered.

Maisie's eyes widened. "That far? Why did you want to go that far away?"

"Well, mostly to get some space. I love my parents, I really do, but sometimes my Dad can be a bit overbearing. I didn't like how he was always reading my friends. He can't turn off what he sees, and it doesn't always work out. And I can't be like Gill and draw a line and tell him 'just let me be happy, don't tell me what you see' because I am his daughter and don't have that right."

Maisie nodded, understanding. "Do you get along with your Father?" She asked.

Emily nodded fervently. "Yes! We have a great relationship. It's just, I want to find out for myself whether or not my date is being truthful. I don't want to pick apart all my friend's secrets."

"That makes sense." Maisie confirmed.

They were quiet for a while. Emily watched her interact with her cousins some more. When there was a gap, she finally spoke again. "Do you have grandchildren?"

Maisie smiled fondly. "Yes. I have seven, actually, not including you three I guess."

Emily's eyes widened. "Seven! That's a lot! How many kids do you have?"

"I have three girls, Laura, Sarah, and Isabelle." Maisie answered. She fished around in her purse, and found an old picture. She passed it over to Emily. "That's them when they were younger."

"Do they all live in England still?"

Maisie nodded. "Yes. I don't understand why anyone would leave." Emily understood. She didn't know exactly why her Father had left, she always liked visiting England more, even though it had been a few years. She leaned in and listened, while Maisie told stories about her daughters and her grandchildren. In all, this woman seemed very nice, and she was confused as to why her Dad was so nervous.

* * *

Cal had turned away from the house and away from his Father. He didn't want to talk, he just wanted to be alone. Maisie seemed nice on the surface, and he hadn't seen anything to the contrary, but he was confused how a woman like this ended up with his Father, and why he felt he needed to hide her. "I'm sorry, Cal." He heard his Father's voice behind him.

Cal shook his head. "You can't fix this with just an apology. Why didn't you tell me? It's not like you couldn't get a hold of me. There is no excuse."

He heard his Father sigh. 'You're right, there isn't an excuse."

"So will you explain yourself then?" He asked. He still wasn't looking at his Father, and he didn't care that he felt like a toddler throwing a tantrum. He wanted answers.

"I didn't know what you would say."

"I wouldn't have said anything, Dad! I would have congratulated you at least, but it wouldn't have been a big deal. Not telling me makes it a big deal." Cal was shouting, still refusing to turn around.

"I didn't know that! Listen, you have to let me speak, you can't interrupt. Can you do that for me, please?" Cal nodded. "No, I want you to look at me, and promise that you won't interrupt."

Nothing happened for what felt like a minute. Cal slowly turned and looked his Father in the eye for the first time that day. "I promise, I won't interrupt. Explain." He stayed there, reading his father's face.

Rupert sighed. "I didn't want you to be angry. It's taken me a long time to get to this point. I know you blame me for what happened to your mother, and I know we have never talked about that. Truth be told, I blamed myself as well. Cal, it took a long time and a lot of counseling before I forgave myself, and even learned that it wasn't all me. Your mother was sick, the urges were there, and I didn't help her fight them by beating her. But it wasn't all me. But you don't necessarily believe that, and I didn't know how you would react to me getting married again. Hell, I didn't tell George until we had been married almost a year." He shook his head. "That was a mistake as well. But George and I have a different relationship than you and I do, and I was worried news like that would completely ruin the shreds we do have, and I didn't want that. Springing Maisie on you at your wedding was probably not the best option either, but it was either now or never. I'm sorry if I have ruined everything for you, and if you want, I can stay in a hotel instead for the rest of this week."

He finally stopped. Cal didn't really know where to start, but he had seen no signs of deception leakage in his Father's face. He sighed. "You're right, our relationship is different than your relationship with George. And springing this now was unfair to both me and Gillian, as it has caused us both stress right before our wedding." He sighed again, closing his eyes and looking away. He opened them and looked toward the house. What he saw through the living room window was Emily, sitting on the couch next to Maisie, totally enthralled by whatever the woman was saying. He pointed, and his Father looked. "But that little girl is a really good judge of character. She still likes you, and she obviously loves Maisie. And I want her to have a relationship with you. So, for the good of my daughter, I will give you both a chance. Just, please don't leave me out anymore."

Rupert nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry."

Cal beckoned his Father toward the house. "Let's go join our family, okay?" They walked to the house side by side.


	35. Chapter 35

Gillian pulled into her brother's driveway with a full car. Emily was in the seat next to her, and Alice and the boys were sitting behind her. She was dropping them off with Nancy before they headed out for her bachelorette party. Nancy had offered to stay with the boys for the night. She said bachelorette parties weren't really her thing. Gillian was grateful, because it gave her more time to get to know Alice. She turned off the car, and turned around to address the people in the backseat. "I think Em and I will go in with you so you guys feel a bit more comfortable." She turned more so she was facing Alice. "I'll introduce you to my sister, and you can ask her any questions and give her any instructions. We have about an hour before we have to leave, so you can get fully acquainted."

Alice nodded. "Thank you." She said.

Emily spoke up. "Let's go! I can see the girls peeking from the window. I'm surprised they haven't come out yet!" Gillian nodded and laughed. It was true, usually her nieces were attacking her before she got out of the car. Emily got out and the boys followed. They had taken quite a liking to her, and trusted her judgment. Gillian and Alice followed slightly behind Emily and the boys.

The door was opened before they reached it. "Emily!" The girls screamed in unison, as they attacked the teen with hugs. "We missed you!" Sarah cried.

"California is too far away!" Sadie lectured. Emily had literally been knocked to the ground. Alice and Gillian were in tears, they were laughing so hard.

"I'm guessing they get along with Emily, then?" Alice asked.

Gillian nodded and continued laughing. "They get along with everyone!" Sadie stayed up on the porch, chattering away at Emily, but Sarah had decided to crash full force into Gillian's legs.

"I missed you, Auntie Gill!" Sarah screeched. Gillian had come to a halt, she had learned it's hard to walk with little ones tangled in her legs.

She reached down and stroked the young girl's curls. "You just saw me two weeks ago when I babysat you!"

Sarah looked up at her and smiled sweetly. "I know, but I still missed you!" Soon Sadie had joined them in the hug. Gillian crouched down and hugged them both individually. They were both wearing white t-shirts and denim jeans with purple butterfly decals on them. It was one of the few days they decided to match, perfect for meeting new people. Gillian chuckled to herself, and pointed over at the boys.

"Over there are Cal's nephews. They came all the way from England, so you should say hello, and make sure they feel really welcome!" Sarah and Sadie nodded and walked over to the boys. Sarah was the first one to talk, as usual. She was the most outgoing twin.

She waved at Thomas. "Hi, I'm Sarah, and this is Sadie. You can tell she is Sadie because she has a big freckle right there!" She touched the larger freckle on the right side of her sister's nose. Thomas laughed.

"I'm Thomas and this is my big brother Lawrence." He answered and pointed at Lawrence.

The girls were giggling. Thomas looked a little confused. "You talk like Uncle Cal does! It's funny, but really cool!"

Lawrence laughed. "That's how most everyone talks in England! I think you sound weird!" Thomas nodded in agreement, and all four of the kids were laughing.

They were all standing around uncertainly for a while. Gillian noticed that Nancy was watching from the doorway as the children got acquainted. Emily was the one that finally got them moving. "Sarah, do you have a soccer ball anywhere? I hear Lawrence loves to play soccer!"

"Football!" He corrected quickly.

"I know that, silly, but I didn't think Sarah and Sadie did." She explained. "In England, they call soccer football, and they have other words for different things. You guys should find out all about it!" Sadie nodded, taking in all the information Emily was giving her.

Sarah took off across the yard. "I think my ball is over here! Come on!" The other children followed, and the adults went inside.

Nancy hugged Emily as she walked in the house. "Emily, it's great to see you!" She exclaimed. She hugged Gillian as well. She stuck her hand out to greet Alice. "Hi, I'm Nancy, Sarah and Sadie's mom, and Gill's sister in law."

Alice shook her hand. "I'm Alice, Cal's sister in law. It's great to meet you! Thank you for watching my boys tonight!"

Gillian laughed. "Seriously! Cal and I are looking forward to stealing the bed! The couch has made me so sore, and I know the love seat is doing the same to Cal."

Emily cringed. "I don't know if I want you and Dad sharing my bed!"

Gillian turned beet red. "Em!" Alice and Nancy laughed.

They spent the next block of time getting Alice and Nancy acquainted. Alice didn't have a lot of special instructions, because "this is a family holiday, they might as well have some fun!" After about forty-five minutes, the three women were leaving for their evening of fun.

* * *

Cal had been trapped in a car for two hours in the backseat next to Loker. The guy didn't annoy him as much as he used to, in fact, they got along quite nicely since they had been meeting each other each Friday night. But small spaces with this guy just drove him nuts. He wished he could sit in the passenger seat where Nick was, but Nick was playing navigator to George, who had planned the entire bachelor party. Nick was designated driver, and driving home, so perhaps Cal could weasel his way into the passenger seat on the way back.

Cal was surprised when they pulled into the Rocky Gap Casino Resort. He didn't think Gillian would have approved of him gambling. He grinned as the parked, and George turned around in the front seat, handing him an envelope filled with some cash. "I have strict orders from Gillian. This is your limit for the night, including alcohol. Also, I am to keep you far away from the roulette table." Cal nodded, but was a little upset. Roulette was one of the few things he could do without reading anyone, but he understood Gillian's fear. Knowing him, he'd lose it all in one shot, and would have a shitty night, so it was all for the best. They all got out and headed inside. Eli went straight for the roulette table, and Nick to the slots. George and Cal went to the bar instead. Cal hadn't had much time alone with his brother, who he hadn't really seen in seven years.

They each ordered their drinks. They faced each other at the bar, and Cal initiated conversation. "So I guess I feel a little better knowing that Dad neglected to tell you about Maisie right away." He started.

George laughed. "Yeah. I went to his house about two years ago, worried because I hadn't heard from him in weeks. She answered the door. So it's not like he told me cause he wanted to!"

Cal shook his head. "That must have been awkward."

George nodded, and took a sip of his drink. "It was. But I wanted both of them to have a relationship with my kids, so I invited them over. A lot."

Cal nodded. "Yeah, I noticed Thomas and Lawrence really like them. Especially Maisie. She's bonded really well with Emily, it seems."

George nodded and took another swig of his drink. "She's been looking forward to meeting Em, she has three girls of her own, and I think she relates better to them. Plus, she hears all about Em from Dad and I."

Cal laughed. "What, have you guys been bragging?"

George laughed. "Well, she's a smart girl! We are proud of her, the boys look up to her, so yeah, we talk about her a lot." He was quiet for a bit. "I see a lot of Mum in her."

Cal nodded again, and took a swig of his drink. "I've been saying that for years. Mostly in her sense of humor, but sometimes she just makes a face, and it takes me back. Gillian said it's Mum's way of saying she appreciates me naming Emily for her."

George smiled. "I always thought that had a nice ring to it, Emily Louise. It's beautiful! I never got my girl to name for Mum. So instead I have Lawrence Rupert, and Thomas Calvin. Not nearly as nice."

"So, Alice didn't have any males she wanted to name the boys for?" Cal teased.

"Actually, Lawrence is named for both of our fathers. Thomas was just a name we both liked, and she doesn't have any brothers or uncles that she wanted to name him after. If we had a girl, we were set on Sarah Louise for both of our mothers, but that didn't happen." He explained. They were quiet for a bit longer. "You know, Dad is really trying to be better. I think Maisie has helped him a ton with whatever he's been through."

"Well, maybe if he ever answered my emails, we would have a better relationship. Sometimes I wonder if I should even send him one, I don't know if he reads them." Cal snapped.

"You know Dad has never been good with words. He listens but doesn't always answer. He's always been that way."

Cal finished his drink and left money on the table. "I don't want to talk about Dad. Let's go gamble." George finished his drink and followed Cal out.

Cal went to an empty blackjack table. He sat in a seat in the middle, and George sat next to him on his right. They placed their bets, and the dealer dealt. Cal got a face card, George got a nine. The dealer also got a face card. Next, Cal got an eight and George got a six. The dealer's next card went face down. She peeked at it, and turned to George. "You have a fifteen, what would you like to do?"

"Hit." He replied. She turned over a card, an eight.

"Sorry, that's a bust." She turned to Cal. "You have eighteen, what would you like to do?"

Cal studied her face a bit longer. "Hit."

"Calvin, are you crazy?" His brother said incredulously.

Cal shook his head. "Nope. I know by looking at her face that she has more than my eighteen." He turned to her. "What do you have, nineteen? Twenty?" He paused after each number, watching closely. "Alright, twenty it is then. I have no chance if I stay and a slim chance if I hit. So I want to hit." George just shook his head, although he realized, Cal had a good point.

The dealer was silent, and refused to look Cal in the eyes as she turned over his next card. "Three. You have twenty one, congratulations sir." Cal could see the embarrassment on her face as she handed him the chips he had won.

"If it makes you feel any better, you have one of the best poker faces I've seen." He stood up and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" George asked.

"Slots. They aren't as boring as actual people."

* * *

Gillian pulled into the City of Rockville Climbing Gym, where Erin and Ria were already waiting. Unlike Cal, who was surprised by his bachelor party, Gillian had planned what she wanted to do. Phase one was a little bit of exercise.

Once inside they saw Erin and Ria. They were already strapped into their harnesses and ready to go. Ria's harness wrapped around her legs and her shoulders so that there wouldn't be unnecessary strain on her slowly growing abdomen. Gillian greeted them each with a hug. She pointed to Alice. "This is Cal's sister in law, Alice. She will be joining us for the evening. Alice, this is Ria, a colleague and friend, and my oldest friend from college, Erin."

Erin shook Alice's hand. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun on top of her head, and she was decked out from head to toe in black and pink workout gear. "It's nice to meet you!" She said.

"Likewise!" Alice smiled warmly at Erin.

Ria waved awkwardly from where she was standing. "Hi. Are we ready to climb?"

Gillian, Emily and Alice all changed into their workout outfits and were fitted with harnesses. Then, the fun began. Emily organized races between everyone, and they raced to the top, over and over again. They climbed for hours before it was time to move on.

The five women changed back into their regular clothes and headed for a spa. Gillian checked them in for their massages. Emily loved it. She had never been to an actual spa before, and it was so relaxing with all of her midterm stress. After a few hours there it was time for the more adult activities.

They drove back to DC, to the bar that Gillian and Cal frequented on Friday nights with their friends. Emily dropped them off and left everyone with her number. She was designated driver tonight, and while she waited, she was going to a movie. She drove off, leaving the four women behind.

Inside the bar, they picked out a table, and Erin bought the first round and Ria's first soda.

"I am so excited for this baby, but man, do I wish I could drink tonight!" Ria stated, and everyone laughed.

"Why, was it especially tough?" Gillian teased.

Ria shook her head. "No, I just dance better when I am a bit tipsy!" They all laughed.

Gillian looked around. This bar was fun, but it was strange being here when Cal wasn't. She hoped Cal was at least having fun wherever he was.

* * *

Cal had obeyed Gillian's orders and had stayed far away from the roulette table. He may have given Loker some money to play at the roulette table, but he had stayed away. Besides, he had already won triple his allowance back at the poker tables. This way, he could get drunk tonight, and treat Gillian to something extra special on their honeymoon, although he hadn't figured that out quite yet. He stayed away from the blackjack table where he had humiliated that poor girl.

Try as he may, Cal could never completely turn off what he saw anymore. He even found himself trying to read Gillian, even though he knew she was nothing but truthful with him. Sometimes his skill was useful, but other times, it was a bother. He found Loker at the bar. He sat down next to his colleague and ordered another drink. "So, that last little bit I gave you, did you win anything?" Cal asked.

Loker shook his head. "Nope." Cal shrugged. Roulette wasn't his game.

Loker chuckled to himself, and Cal looked over. "What is it?" Cal asked.

"I never thought I would be here." He answered. Cal was silent, so he pressed on. "I mean, I knew you and Gillian would be an item, and I guessed eventually you would get married, but I never thought I would end up at my boss's bachelor party, or a part of his wedding. I didn't know you liked me this much."

Cal scoffed. "What do you mean? Of course I like you. I've kept you around this long, haven't I? You are very passionate about what we do, and you are a genuinely nice guy." He took a swig of his drink before continuing. "So yes, I like you."

Loker had watched for deception leakage but had seen nothing. Cal was one of the better liars he knew, but alcohol brings down any mask, and Cal had a few in him. "Well, thanks, I guess." He answered.

They were joined by Nick, who had another coke. "It's getting late. We should find your brother and head back to DC."

"What, no stripper?" Cal asked. He watched the shock come over Nick's face.

Loker quickly jumped to the man's defense. "He's kidding. Please know that he's kidding. He just said that to watch your reaction."

Nick didn't look so sure. Cal just nodded and pointed to Loker. "He's telling the truth. I swear, I don't want a stripper. The only girl I want to see naked is Gillian. And Jennifer Aniston." He turned around and finished his drink. Nick watched, dumbfounded for a few more seconds before bursting out, laughing.

"Who doesn't?" Nick replied. He finished his drink, paid for generously by Cal, and stood up. "Alright. Let's find George, and head home."

Cal stood up. "Shotgun!"

* * *

Cal sat on the couch at home, waiting for Gillian. His head was still a little fuzzy, but he had a whole two hour car ride to sober up. Plus, George had made him drink a lot of water when he got home. He heard the car pull up, and a lot of loud giggling. The door pushed open, and Emily walked in, supporting a very drunk Gillian as she continued to try and walk in her heels.

"Hello, luv. Did you have fun tonight?" He asked, getting up to grab her. She smelled like tequila and blackberries, an interesting mix.

"Yes. Did you?" Cal nodded. She took a few steps, and fell into him.

"Alright, luv. You shouldn't be walking." He turned back towards Emily. "Where is Alice?"

Emily smiled. "She and Ria have really hit it off, and she is still at the bar. But Ria can still drive, so she offered to take her home." She explained.

Cal nodded. "Alright then. Thanks Em. I'll give you gas money tomorrow."

She nodded. "Okay. Goodnight guys, I'll see you both tomorrow!" She waved as she left. Cal turned back to Gillian, who was leaning on him still. He didn't warn her, but scooped her up at her knees. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"My hero!" Her words were slurred, but Cal smiled in spite of himself. He carried her all the way up the stairs and into Emily's unoccupied room. Oh, he was so looking forward to sleeping in a bed tonight. He dropped Gillian on the bed and began taking off her shoes. She was struggling with the zipper on her back. Cal unzipped her, and handed her one of his t-shirts that he had handy. She smiled up at him. She reached for his face, and when he brought it to her, she kissed him slowly.

"I love you, Cal."

"I love you, Gill." He climbed into bed next to her, and they laid down, his chest pressing into her back. He kissed her neck, slowly exploring as if it were new territory. But the cute snores he had come to love made him break contact. He sighed softly, and covered them with the blanket. There would be plenty of time for other stuff later, but tomorrow was a big day, and he needed his rest. He laughed to himself as he realized that even when she was drunk and asleep, Gillian was always right. He made a mental note to tell her that later, and closed his eyes, drifting off into sleep.


	36. Chapter 36

Gillian woke long after her fiancé with a pounding headache and unfamiliar of her surroundings. It took her a while to register that she was in Emily's room, which was darker than hers. No wonder the teen could sleep in so easily. She blinked her eyes and looked around, finding a glass of water and aspirin on the table next to her. Of course Cal knew she would need it. She could hear him rattling pots and pans downstairs, and she knew he was already cooking. A quick look at the clock told her that he most likely was not cooking breakfast, and instead prepping whatever had to be done for tomorrow. She popped the aspirin in her mouth and took a drink of the water. When she stood up, she saw that Cal had managed to get her into a t-shirt, but she was still just in her underwear, and she couldn't try to entertain her family while she was half naked. She didn't like the idea of walking around the house like this either, so sneaking to her own bedroom wasn't really an option. She looked around and found her stuff from last night. Her dress, shoes, and purse were all in a pile at the foot of the bed.

_Thank God!_ She started rifling through her purse until she found her phone. Emily was right at the top, because she was the last person Gillian had contact with last night before she got home. She thought long and hard about how to ask this, she was honestly a little in awe by the fact she would have to ask this question.

**SO, KIND OF A STRANGE QUESTION. I'M IN YOUR ROOM, AND AM IN THE MARKET FOR A PAIR OF SWEATPANTS OR SOMETHING. CAN I BORROW SOME?**

The response was quick.

**SURE! CHECK BOTTOM DRAWER. C U DOWNSTAIRS!** Gillian chuckled to herself. She wasn't surprised, Emily had been here every day since all the English relatives got here, spending as much time with all of them as possible. She went over to the chest and opened the bottom drawer. She pulled out a pair of yellow sweatpants with thick blue letters down one side, SJSU. If she was going to wear Emily's clothes, she might as well represent!

Downstairs she found Emily petting a curled up Lucy, talking to George at length about school. Gillian sat on the other couch and listened in. "But I love how he uses real life things to illustrate his points. We watch clips from television shows and comedians, and he has us write a paper where we analyze a movie, and have to tie it to four different things he brought up in class. I wrote about Up, and he loved it. Definitely, the best class I have taken so far."

Gillian nodded, only catching half of the conversation, but she could see it was a very interesting class. "What class is this exactly?" She asked.

"Social problems." Emily responded, looking up at Gillian. "Nice pants, Gill." She said, a sly grin on her face.

Gillian turned a bright shade of red. "Oh, God! I'm sorry! I never thought I would be in that situation, now I feel bad for taking your clothes!"

Emily was shaking her head and laughing. "Gill! Don't worry. Mom and I swap clothes more often than you would think. She wears my stuff on lazy days at home, and I steal hers when I am going out, or have a job interview! Please, wear my pants, I couldn't care less!" The look in the teen's eye was very genuine, and Gillian relaxed. George was laughing at their whole exchange.

Alice came in, dragging her feet behind her and hanging her head while they were all laughing. "You lot are so loud! Can you quiet down?"

Gillian giggled. "I see we have matching hangovers. Did you have fun last night?"

Alice sat on the couch next to her husband. "Yes. Ria is great, the day was exciting, but right now I just wish I'd had less to drink."

Gillian nodded. "I'm with you there!" They all laughed. Gillian stood up. "Can I get you an aspirin or something?"

Alice nodded. "Yes, please!" Gillian went up to the bathroom and shook two aspirin out of the bottle. She also filled one of the small paper cups with water and brought that down with her as well. Alice thanked her profusely as she sat back down in her spot on the couch.

Gillian looked around and couldn't help noticing that a few bodies were missing. "Where are the boys? And Rupert and Maisie?" Gillian asked.

Emily answered first. "Grandpa and Maisie are out sightseeing. She has never been to the US before, so Grandpa is showing her all of his favorite places in the Capital."

Gillian nodded. "Makes sense." She replied. So many of the monuments that seemed so cool to everyone else were just so ordinary to her now. She forgot that people from all over really enjoyed sightseeing around her home, and her workplace. "What about Thomas and Lawrence?" She asked again.

"They hit it off with your nieces. Nick and Nancy will bring them to the rehearsal dinner tonight, and we will take them back with us then." George explained.

Gillian was beaming. "I'm so glad they all get along! I was worried the boys wouldn't have anyone their age to hang out with!"

George nodded. "Yeah, I guess they played football and all sorts of other games outside and bonded over The Lion King." Gillian laughed. She knew her nieces well, and knew they would much rather watch The Little Mermaid. She could see them, mostly Sadie, searching through the movies title by title to find a movie boys would like too.

"That's sweet!" Gillian replied. "Well, Erin has two young kids, Kiley is four and Felix is fifteen months, so they can play with them too. I know that there will be plenty of kids at the wedding, so I'm sure they'll have fun. But I'm glad they connected with Sarah and Sadie."

"No one my age though." Emily joked.

"Emily, you're not your age." Alice replied, and the room started laughing.

When they quieted down, Gillian responded. "Actually, I think the photographer is nineteen or twenty. So you could chat with him."

Emily shrugged. "I'll probably just bug Ria all night. She's a lot of fun!"

Alice grabbed the teen's shoulder. "You're right about that!"

As they talked, Gillian thought back to just a few days before. It had been awkward at first to talk to these people, but it was natural now. They pushed each other's buttons like a real family, and she couldn't be any happier that she was joining it.

* * *

There was something about Gillian all dressed up that took Cal's breath away. She looked beautiful every day no matter what she was wearing, but her dressed up in classy dresses always took him back to the first time he met her. When he walked into her office and found her dressed in a nice white blouse and a black skirt that moved when she did, he knew she dressed like a classy lady, and it took his breath away. So when Gillian came downstairs in a pearl purple knee length dress that pulled asymmetrically to the right, his heart skipped a beat again. He had kissed her and told her she looked beautiful, and watched her blush. He didn't know if she knew how she took his breath away.

They picked a Mexican restaurant for the rehearsal dinner, mostly because it also featured a dance floor, and they could dance later on that night. When they got there, the whole party was already waiting for them. Gillian looked around and couldn't believe how many people were there! She ran up to her father and threw her arms around his neck, she hadn't seen him in person in years. "Hey Dad!" She said as she hugged him.

"Hey, Gillybean!" He responded, squeezing her harder. Gillian didn't care how old she was, something about her dad calling her that put a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. She would let him call her that forever.

She pulled away and hugged Jeanne as well. She turned to beckon Cal over, and noticed he was already by her side. She gestured towards her Dad and Jeanne. "Cal, this is my Dad, Chuck and my Step-mom, Jeanne." Cal shook each of their hands.

"I'm sorry I never asked your permission to marry you daughter, although I did ask Nick because I figured it was the next best thing." Gillian laughed, because she never expected Cal to be nervous meeting her Father.

Her Dad laughed too. "It's alright, son, you don't need to be that proper with me. As long as you make my Gillybean happy, I don't really care!" Gillian hugged her father again, hoping he could see just how happy she was. They then made their way to their special table, where Emily and George were waiting for them.

Gillian looked around and took stock of who was here. Nick and Nancy were at one table with her nieces, who were both wearing pink flowery dresses. All of the parents were at another table. Erin and Logan were here with Kiley and Felix, who Gillian decided to steal later. Alice had the boys at a table by herself. And Ria and Alex were sitting at a table with Eli and Carrie. These twenty three people were what their lives boiled down to, their most treasured friends.

Gillian reached across the table and wrapped Emily in a warm embrace. She sat back and picked up the menu, choosing her meal. The waiter cane around and took everyone's order pretty quickly, and soon everyone was back to talking and intermingling. The kids had all found the dance floor, and all of them were dancing together. It was adorable, and Emily took lots of pictures. With an empty table, Alice had gone to talk with Ria and everyone at that table. Cal was over talking to all the parents, and was the first person introduced to Michelle's boyfriend, Tom. Gillian made a beeline for the baby.

When she got to Erin's table, Felix started wiggling around, and lifted his arms up. "Hey, buddy!" Gillian cooed, lifting him into her arms. He reached for her face and poked her in the eye.

"Eye!" He said, nice and loud.

Gillian grinned. "You are a smart fella! That is my eye! Where is my nose?" Felix reached out and smacked her nose.

"Ha han!" He squealed. Gillian laughed.

"He is honking your nose, just so you know." Erin told her.

Gillian grinned back at the toddler. "Did you honk my nose?" She reached her hand up and tapped her nose. "Honk! Honk!"

Cal looked over at the sound of a baby laughing. Gillian had of course found Felix, and he was attached to her hip. He gestured towards her. "Typical. Another man stealing away my fiancée."

The table looked over and they all laughed. "Oh, Cal you better look out, I think that little man is stealing her heart!" Maisie said.

Cal nodded. "He had her heart the day he was born, I saw it!" They all laughed. "That's Felix, Gill's godson, and she takes him whenever she can, and his older sister too."

Maisie nodded. "Her eyes light up around that child. She looks so alive."

"I agree." He said as he nodded. "You should see her with her nieces."

"Oh, she adores those little girls!" Michelle interrupted. "And they love her! They get so excited when she walks into the room, it's so funny!" She stopped for a moment. "You know, I think they get even more animated when Gillian brings Cal."

"That's cause I bring everything up a notch." The table started laughing again.

"So, do you and Gill want kids?" Maisie asked.

Cal nodded. "We are going to do foster care. Depending on things, we might be able to adopt, and I think that's the best option for us." He answered

"What about kids of your own? I mean, you've done a fantastic job with Emily, and Gillian seems to love babies."

Cal waved his hands, dismissing her. "Gill can't have kids. So fostering is our best option."

Maisie turned red. "I didn't mean to pry, sorry."

"Yeah, you did, but everyone asks, so we're used to the question." Cal retorted. It came out meaner than he meant it. "It's okay to ask, Maisie. That is the normal course of things." She relaxed a bit as he said this.

"I like you." Chuck spoke up, suddenly. He had been sizing Cal up this time and hadn't spoken much. Cal could see so much of Gillian in him, mostly in his chin, cheeks and eyes. He had always thought that Gillian's eyes were like her mother's, but right now he was looking at Chuck, and Gillian's eyes were staring back at him. He continued. "I mean, look at her, she's beaming. And it's not all because of the baby. And you seem down to earth, and I can tell you care about her by the way you look at her."

Cal waited a bit before answering. "I can assure you, sir, that if anyone is down to earth, it's Gill. She keeps me grounded when I go off. But you're right, I care about her more than you know."

This is the moment Gillian joined them next to the table, a little Felix still glued to her hip. "How are you all doing over here?" She asked. Cal had to smile, of course she was being a good hostess, making her way to all the tables.

Michelle nodded. "I think we're fine, Gillybean, how are you doing?"

"Great!" She responded. She looked over at the man next to her mother. He had grey but thick hair parted at the left. He seemed very tall, and he was a little goofy looking, but Gillian could see kindness in his eyes. "You must be Tom. It's nice to finally meet you." She said. She reached her hand over the table to shake his, keeping a firm grasp on Felix.

"Likewise." He responded. "I hear that this little guy is your godson. He's a cutie."

Gillian smiled and nodded. "That he is. I'd love to take credit for him, but he's not my doing. But I like to steal him whenever I can." She explained.

"Can I just tell you that you look stunning in that dress?" Maisie interrupted. "The color looks amazing on you."

"Thank you, Maisie. I honestly just stumbled across it and decided that tonight was the night for the big debut." Gillian responded, blushing.

"Let's be honest, Gillybean, you look stunning in just about everything you wear!" Michelle was beaming at her daughter, and Cal could see how proud she was of Gillian.

"I can attest to that!" Cal responded, hugging Gillian to the side, and placing a quick kiss on her cheek.

She blushed. "Thank you all." She looked around. "I am going to head over and talk with Ria and company over there." She gazed off in the direction of Ria and Eli's table.

Cal stepped towards her. "I'll come with you." They said goodbye to everyone there and headed over towards Ria. "How are you lot doing over here?" Cal asked.

Eli was grinning. "I like this place. It's like our bar but classier. Good choice, guys." The table started laughing.

"So I guess that means you're doing okay then." Gillian clarified. Everyone nodded. "Good. Because we are going to need some people who can show everyone else how to dance." Gillian looked directly at Ria. "You know we're not leaving until we get everyone, right?"

"Well, the kids got a head start." Ria responded, pointing at the dance floor, where five children were bobbing around. "They are so cute! I can't wait to have one of those." She reached out and stroked Felix's hair.

"Oh! Gill, I forgot to tell you!" An overeager Carrie was practically jumping out of her seat. "Alice is going to pick me up so I can help with decorations in the hall. That way, you can sleep in a bit on Friday morning, and don't have to worry about decorating." She was smiling, the kind of smile a kid has when they surprise their parents.

"Thank you so much for that, Carrie!" Gillian walked around to her side of the table, and hugged her with her free arm. They continued talking for a few minutes about decorations, and the Friday morning itinerary, until dinner came out. Gillian relinquished Felix back into the care of his mother, and sat back at her table. George had taken his plate and moved to eat with his family, so it was just Cal and Emily waiting for her.

She had ordered some amazing chicken and rice dish, and she was loving it. She offered a bite to Emily and Cal. "Gill! That is amazing! Why didn't I order that?" Emily pouted.

"Because, you wanted tacos." Cal answered, matter-of-factly. Emily rolled her eyes and went back to her tacos, which she thought were almost as good as whatever Gillian got. She looked at her Dad's plate. "At least I didn't get a burger at a Mexican restaurant." She teased.

"Oi! I like burgers!" Gillian and Emily were giggling. "Besides, Kiley got chicken nuggets."

"Dad, Kiley is four. You are thirty-eight years older than Kiley. Grow up." She stuck her tongue out at him, and he returned the gesture.

Gillian shook her head and laughed. "What did I get myself into?" she joked.

George stood up, tapping on his glass with a fork. "Hello everyone, it's nice to see you all here tonight. First and foremost, I would like to thank all of you for making my family feel so welcome here in a different country. You have my gratitude for that. Now, let me tell you a little something about Cal. Cal and I have kept email correspondence for years, ever since he moved to the US. About ten years ago, he told me that he was starting a new company with a business partner, named Gillian. That was the first time I heard of her. But for around three years, I never got another email that didn't mention her by name at least once. After his marriage fell apart with Zoe, I think it took him two months to tell me that he was pretty sure he had feelings for Gillian. There was just one problem. She was married." People in the room started laughing. "So I heard all these stories about Gillian every week. And every once in a while, Cal would try to tell me about what new girl he was dating. But there was a difference. Every month without fail, I heard about Gill. But when he was dating, I could go months without hearing about whatever girl he was dating. That's how I knew that my older brother was in love. When Gill got divorced, I got an email asking for advice. Should he go for it? He didn't want to be the rebound guy. Now, if I thought I was hearing about Gillian a lot before, I heard more about her after the divorce. My brother painted a great picture, and even when he chose not to pursue a relationship, he was her closest friend. They went to functions together, and were each other's everything. Plus ones at weddings, and other social gatherings. I know that after a particularly tough case, he found solace in her and her guest bedroom. The whole time, I was egging him on. 'Ask her out' I would reply, 'just kiss her already and see what happens.' I always got back, 'Nah, it's too risky,' or 'I don't want to mess up our friendship.' Now, I could only see this through his eyes. But my brilliant niece over there," he pointed at Emily, "She hatched a master plan to get these two friends, who were so obviously in love, together. My brother's emails changed. I got pictures of Cal and this beautiful woman he had been pining over for years. I got group shots of them with Emily, looking like they had been a family forever, and not just a few short months, or years. He was happier, and settled. His emails became less about now and more about plans for his life with his true love." He paused, and looked at Gillian. "Gill. I just met you. You are every bit as wonderful as he has let on. I can't help but wonder. What do you see in him?" The room erupted. "I mean it! What did he do to deserve someone as wonderful as you? I knew him growing up, I never thought we'd be here!"

"Piss off!" Cal joked.

George smiled. "Honestly, I can't think of any two people more in love than Cal has been with you. I know you two will be very happy together." He raised his glass. "To the bride and groom!"

George sat down, and Emily stood up to speak. "I don't know how to follow that, but I'll try. Dad and Gill, I have been waiting for this day longer than you would know. Dad has always been happier with you than with anyone else. The last few years, before you started dating, you really integrated into our lives, you might as well have been dating anyway. You know I have always had a unique bond with Gill. I told her all my secrets, and went to her when I was in trouble. She was always someone I could tell anything to. And whenever she had passed off her relationship with my father as just friends, I could see the longing in her eyes. So, I had to take action." Cal and Gillian laughed. "I had a brilliant plan that got you two to talk, and you talked and things changed. Things changed for the better. I have seen my Dad try to make things work with a lot of different women. Clara, Sharon, my Mom way too many times." The room laughed again. "With Gillian it just seems effortless. He is happy and settled, and I am so glad that Gillian finally admitted her feelings so that my Dad can finally be happy like he deserves. And Gill seems happy too, and she definitely deserves that. For a woman that has seen so much heartache, I'm glad you've found happiness with us." She raised her glass. "So, to my Dad and Gill!"

"To Cal and Gill." The room answered. Emily sat down, and the room rang with the sound of glass clinking against glass. Soon, everyone finished their meals, and went out to the dance floor. Cal and Gillian danced the night away with their friends and family.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N Sorry this took so long to get out, I guess I kind of just lost my way a bit. It's a cute chapter I guess, just kind of boring. Oh, well, Enjoy! I have part of the next one done already, so hopefully it's not quite as long of a wait.**

* * *

Emily groaned as her alarm went off again for the fourth time that morning. It was one of her traits that drove Jessica insane, because who wants to be woken up before they are ready to be? This was the one on her phone, with a different sound than the rest, and it was labeled "get yo ass outta bed". She had done it to make herself laugh in the morning, and it had worked at first. But now, it was just annoying. She turned it off and rolled back over, adjusting to being awake. She felt her eyes start to close again. "No! No more sleeping!" She whispered to herself. She sat up straight and rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the feeling of being awake.

Getting up early was one of Emily's least favorite things to do. Especially when she had been out all night the night before, learning to dance from Ria, and chasing after her cousins and Kiley. She really wanted to sleep a little more. She groaned again. Two more hours of sleep means two less hours of spending time with Uncle George and everyone else, and she didn't get to see them all that often. Her desires admitted defeat. She swung her legs over to the side of her bed and stood up. She walked over to her dresser and searched for her favorite cable knit sweater and pair of skinny jeans. She wiggled into her pants and slipped the brown sweater over her head. She looked in the mirror and admired the intricacy of her sweater, the way the yarn twisted and crisscrossed. It was beautiful and understated. She would love to learn how to make one like it someday.

She smiled to herself, and grabbed a pen and a post-it from her desk. Learn to knit. She wrote in cursive, removed the post it and stuck it to her vanity. She pulled her hair back into a quick pony tail, grabbed her keys and walked out of her bedroom quietly, so she wouldn't wake her mother. She rushed out to the car, it was cold outside. It was colder in her car. She turned it on and put the air on full blast and the heat all the way up, trying to warm herself up quickly. She turned on her Jason Mraz CD and headed to her Father's.

She pulled into his driveway and parked to the side, leaving room for a few cars, she knew there would be a ton later today. She looked at her clock, it was just a little after 8, and looked back at the front door. She felt strange for hesitating, but the last time she had entered the house early, she'd scared the crap out of Gillian. She pulled out her phone and fooled around on it for a little bit, checking out Facebook, and reading updates on twitter. Suddenly, a banner appeared at the top of her phone, a text message from her Dad. She opened it up. **WHAT R U DOING OUT THERE? PLANNING ON COMING IN ANYTIME SOON?**

She laughed to herself, and answered him back. **YEA, SORRY! CHECKING EMAIL! B RIGHT IN!** It was true enough, and much easier to lie to him via text message. She got out of the car and entered in the side door, the door leading straight to the kitchen. There she found her father, flower apron and all, cooking away, at eight in the morning.

The kitchen was one of those places that her Dad came alive, and it amused her to think of a time when he wasn't as much of a gourmet chef. She took off her jacket and hung it on the back of a chair. "What can I do to help?" She asked him, looking around.

He pointed in the general direction of the refrigerator. "Cut up the bell peppers and tomatoes for a salad." He answered, not looking up from his stuffing. Emily grinned, and went to the fridge, pulling out not only those, but some cucumbers and a couple bags of lettuce. She placed those on the island, and bent down in the cabinet next to her father to grab a cutting board. She felt arms around her shoulders, as her Dad gave her a quick hug, and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks, luv. It doesn't need to be put together yet, I just want the vegetables cut, that way I can use them for salad and whatever else."

She smiled at him. "Of course, Dad. No worries here!" She brought the cutting board over to where the veggies were, and put the bags of lettuce back into the refrigerator. She started with the bell peppers, sneaking a few pieces here and there. When all the peppers were done, she sliced the tomatoes.

If Emily hated anything, it was silence, and it was all too awkward in the kitchen with someone else and not talking. "So, Dad, how did you sleep?" She asked, using her go to question for when things were too quiet in the mornings.

"Like crap. The couches are the worst to sleep on." He answered gruffly.

Emily nodded. "Yeah, I hate falling asleep on those, my back always hurts so much afterward." She agreed.

"Your back shouldn't hurt, you're young. You bounce back easily. Gill and I are old, and we want our bed back." He complained.

Emily laughed as she moved on to the cucumbers. "Grandpa and Maisie are older!" she teased. "Besides, why not make the boys sleep on the couch, move Grandpa and Maisie to my room, and reclaim your bed?"

"That's the plan for tomorrow night, but until then, its couches for us." He sounded annoyed.

Emily thought about different ways they could solve this problem. She didn't know anyone with an air mattress, and sometimes those were worse than the couches. She was deep in thought, and stealing a few cucumbers when Lucy came bounding into the kitchen. Emily tossed a piece of bell pepper on the ground for the puppy to pick up.

"Oi! Lucy, what do you want?" Cal said to the dog. He grabbed the knife from Emily. "Do you mind taking her out? I'll finish these up. Besides, Gillian is probably up, you guys can hang out for a bit."

"Are you sure you're all set, Dad?" Emily asked.

"Yeah." He answered, waving his hand to dismiss her. "Her leash is hanging by the front door. Just take her out and we will be all set with everything in here."

Emily grabbed the dog's leash and led her outside. She figured it would be quick, that Lucy would do what she need to do and get ready to come back inside. Instead, she found a big stick. She brought it up to Emily, and dropped it on the ground front of her. "No Lucy. Business, we can play later. Or go with Thomas up, I'm sure he would like to play." Of course, the dog didn't understand her. She picked up the stick again and dropped it at Emily's feet. Emily shook her head and pulled the dog back towards the door. Lucy picked up the stick and tried to bring it with her. When they got to the door, Emily took the stick out of Lucy's mouth, and put it up on the railing of the porch. She made a mental note to tell Thomas about it later.

In the house, Emily crept into the living room, and peered her head around the corner, trying not to wake Gillian up. When she saw Gillian up and surfing the Netflix queue, she knew she was all set. She walked in and sat on the couch next to Gillian. Gillian offered the other end of her blanket, and the teen happily accepted. Gillian clicked on their new favorite show, Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23. They watched together in silence. Emily noticed that as the show went on, she slowly drifted closer to Gillian. In turn, Gillian uncurled her legs a bit, leaving space for Emily to lean. Emily was amazed at how natural it felt, just cuddling up with Gillian under a blanket, and watching TV like it was any other day. Emily appreciated everything Gillian did to make her feel comfortable. They heard a crash from the kitchen. "Cal, are you alright?" Gillian called out.

"Yeah, I'm okay, luv." Came the response.

Emily giggled in spite of herself.

"What are you laughing at?" Gillian asked.

"This." She gestured toward the kitchen. "It just brings back memories."

Gillian's face lit up, she loved hearing about the past. "What kind of memories?"

"The kind where Dad couldn't cook."

Gillian looked confused. She angled her body to face the teen. "George said Cal was always the cook."

Emily nodded. "Yeah, but that pretty much consisted of scrambled eggs, spaghetti and meatballs, and beans on toast. There is a reason I tease him about it so much."

"Really? That was it?" Gillian was surprised.

"I'm afraid so." Both women jumped at the sound of George's voice. "Sorry ladies, didn't mean to frighten you." He sat down on the loveseat. "But I wasn't lying when I said he was the cook. Dad didn't know how to make anything, and I was a bit too young to try. It made for some interesting meals when Cal wasn't around."

Emily nodded in agreement. "Yeah, when he was married to Mom, she did all of the cooking. When they divorced, he was back to that old diet, and so was I when I was with him." She sat back on the couch, grinning, with a faraway look in her eye. "I used to pack food from Mom's to bring with me, so I could eat something here. When he realized it, he decided to learn how to cook." She snapped back to reality and looked at Gillian. "You know my Dad, and when he wants to learn something, he won't stop until he's mastered it. Hence, the gourmet meals!"

Gillian laughed, but nodded all the same. It was so true. The whole science, their whole company, was built off of something he had learned and mastered. She knew this all too well.

"You know, in some ways, I'm just like that." Emily continued. "I have this idea, where I would start a blog. I want to learn how to do something new, and blog about it while I do it. I think it could be interesting."

"Sound like a lovely idea, luv. What do you plan to learn first?" George responded.

Emily grinned. "I'd like to learn how to knit, actually."

"Oh! That sounds cool!" Gillian smiled, and her voice pitch went up as she responded to the teen. "Wait until the summer for that one, I'd love to learn with you!"

Emily nodded. "Okay. The other thing I really want to do is learn another language." She pulled out her phone. "I have this great app, it's like Rosetta Stone, but free! And I have flashcards on here too, so I can study in my free time. I want to learn Italian!"

George laughed. "That sounds great, Em. How are you doing with it so far?"

"I'm not sure yet, I haven't tried anything out on actual people, and I just started. I can tell you about boys, girls, men, women, and apples, though!"

Everyone laughed at this. They were soon joined by Alice, and all of them threw around a whole slew of things Emily could learn. Code so she could design her own website, learn to drive a stick shift, a few really cool magic tricks, and juggling were all things that she was told to try and learn.

Slowly, the rest of the visitors trickled their way into the living room. Gillian and Emily moved closer to each other to make room on the couch for Maisie. Her Grandfather sat on the love seat with George and Alice. Finally, the boys came downstairs, all dressed and ready for the day. Emily stood up when they entered the room. "Hey, guys! Lucy wants to play fetch, we left a stick on the porch." She told them, heading toward the door. "It's a little chilly, you might want a jacket." She told them, putting on her own green pea coat.

Thomas and Lawrence looked at Alice, and when she nodded her approval, they grinned. Thomas was jumping up and down, and squealing.

As Emily handed them their respective jackets, Cal came out of the kitchen. "Gillian." He called to her.

Gillian had gotten comfier on the couch after Emily left. One leg was bent up in front of her, and the other was curled underneath her. She was still wrapped in the blanket. She snapped her head up to look at him. "Yes Cal?"

"The oven is free for your cake." He disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Excuse me, I need to go make chocolate cake." Gillian said to their guests. She hopped up from her perch on the couch and joined Cal in the kitchen.

Emily opened the door and stood out of the way, letting Thomas and Lawrence out. "Feel free to join us outside!" Emily shouted behind her as she followed her cousins and the dog outside.

No one from inside joined them outside, but Emily was having so much fun playing with her cousins and Lucy, that she didn't realize how much time had passed. She was surprised when a van pulled up, and Sarah and Sadie were suddenly running around too.

"Thomas! Lawrence! We brought our soccer ba, I mean, our football!" Sarah yelled out. Emily chuckled at that, and went over to greet Nick and Nancy. Nick greeted her with a warm hug.

"You guys must be early! What time is it?" Emily asked, as she hugged Nancy.

Nancy laughed. "We're not that early! It's 12:30." She kissed the teen on top of her head. "How have you been, Em?" Nancy asked.

Emily smiled. "Good. I haven't played outside in ages! Time really flies when you're having fun!" She looked over to where all four of her cousins were playing. They had formed a circle and were kicking the ball back and forth, with poor Lucy stuck as the monkey in the middle. "You guys can head inside, I'll stay out here." She told them. They nodded at her and headed toward the door, while Emily joined the circle of kids kicking around the soccer ball.

A few minutes later, Emily recognized her Mother's black sedan making its way up the driveway. "I'll be right back, guys!" she called out to the kids as she raced over to the car. Zoe was tackled in a fierce hug as soon as she stepped out of the car. "Happy thanksgiving, Mom."

Zoe stroked the teen's hair. "Hey, baby. You've been sleeping at my house, but I feel like I haven't seen you all week!" She laughed, but for a split second, Emily felt guilty. It was true, she had hardly seen her mother all week, and she hoped that Zoe didn't feel used.

Zoe seemed to register Emily's guilt. "It's okay, I get why you want to be here. How often to you get to see George and the kids?" She smiled, and Emily smiled back, relieved that her mom understood. Zoe pointed at the group of children, all of them about half of her age. "It looks like you are having fun, though!"

Emily laughed. "Seriously, when is the last time I played outside? I'm having a blast!" Zoe laughed at her, and started walking toward the house. Emily waved awkwardly at Tony, who waved just as awkwardly back. "Hey." She forced out.

"Hey, Em. I'll meet you inside." He responded. He followed her mother towards the house. Emily turned back toward her cousins. She liked Tony, he was nice, but they didn't have a connection. Not like the connection that she had with Gillian. Sometimes, Emily thinks her connection with Gillian is stronger than her connection with her own mother.

At this point, Lucy was worn out. She had been chasing that ball for hours. So she was laying on the deck, patiently waiting to be let inside. The Thomas and Lawrence were slowly getting worn out as well. As Emily approached, she could see this. Their faces were red, they were panting, and Thomas was sitting down, trying to catch the ball that way, which wasn't working out very well for him. "Hey, guys!" Emily called to them as she got closer. They all stopped playing, and looked up at her. "What do you say we go inside for now, but we can come back out and play after we eat? Sound good?" They all nodded to that. "Let's go in, then!" Emily hastened them towards the door, and they all ran, rushing at the porch and a barking Lucy, who was suddenly reinvigorated when a crowd of kids was running toward her.

As Emily tried to wrangle four children and an over excited dog back in the house, a green Acura pulled into the driveway. She turned back towards the chaos, and found that Sadie was the only one left outside. She too had seen the car pull in, and was waiting patiently to see who would pop out of it. A tall man with white, balding hair stepped out. Emily vaguely recognized him, but Sadie knew who he was right away. "Papa!" She squealed, running towards the car.

"Hello, sweetheart!" He crooned as she crashed into his legs. He stroked her curly brown hair. "What are you doing out here in the cold?"

"I was playing out here with Sarah and the boys. And Emily!" She pointed over in Emily's direction.

Emily walked over to the man. "Hello. I don't think we were properly introduced last night. I'm Emily, Cal's daughter. You must be Gill's Dad!" She thrust out her hand, and he shook it.

"Yep. I'm Chuck, this is Jeanne. It's nice to finally meet the famous Emily!"

She released his hand. "Famous?" she inquired.

Chuck laughed. "You don't have a clue how much Gillian gushes about you, and let's not forget these girls. "He patted Sadie's head again. "They all tell me you are incredible!"

Emily was blushing. "I really don't know what I've done to deserve that honor, but thank you." She pointed toward the house. "It's crowded in there, but it's warmer. We should head in." Chuck and Jeanne both nodded, and followed the girls into the house.

It was a thanksgiving unlike one Emily had ever experienced. She had never witnessed that many people in her house before, let alone everyone getting along and just enjoying themselves. Her mom gushed over Gillian's cake again, and didn't argue with her father once. The kids entertained Lucy all day long, and fed her table scraps. That dog had never been happier than she was that day. Nick had turned on the football games, American football games, which was so unlike her life, it was kind of strange. She laughed at him as he tried to explain the rules to all of the visiting people. Her Dad and George looked thoroughly confused, although Thomas was picking it up quite easily. As soon as he knew who Nick was rooting for, you could clearly hear a little boy's voice joining in whenever Nick would yell about first downs and touchdowns, and by the end of the game he was calling penalties. George and Cal had given up at that point.

People trickled out little by little. Her mother and Tony were the first to leave, followed by Nick and the gang. Chuck and Jeanne stayed the longest, just visiting with everyone for as long as they could, but they were gone before it was dark as well.

Emily helped Gillian clean up the kitchen. For seventeen people, she was surprised by the amount of leftovers that they had. "Today was the best." Emily said to her, smiling as she thought back on it all.

Gillian grinned. "It really was."

"I wouldn't mind doing it like that every year!" Emily stated.

Gillian shrugged. "I mean, it's kind of annoying now!" she pointed at the full table of leftovers in front of them, and the pile of dishes in the sink, and they both laughed.

"I have to agree." Emily answered. "But I would totally do it again!"

When they finished cleaning, they made their way back into the living room. They all sat out there and chatted, different shows on the TV as background noise. Slowly, the visiting relatives made their way back up to their respective rooms. They all mumbled about the busy day ahead of them, and finally, it was down to just Emily, her Dad, and Gillian.

"Are you guys ready?" Emily asked.

"I have never been more ready for anything in my life." Gillian replied. Emily didn't need her father's science to know the response was genuine.

Emily grinned. "Alright. I have to leave. But I'll see you both tomorrow morning, bright and early." She hugged her Dad first, feeling comfort in his warm embrace. Next she hugged Gillian. Her tight squeeze and pat on the back meant the world to her. "I love you both, see you tomorrow." She called over her shoulder as she left.

"Love you!" They echoed back.


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: **I honestly didn't think that would take so long. But it's a double long chapter, so I hope that makes up for it. Enjoy!

* * *

Gillian marveled at Emily's expert fingers, curling and pinning up every inch of Gillian's now very long hair. "Done!" The teen exclaimed, with a flourish of her hands, backing away from Gillian, and grabbing a hand mirror so she could see the back of it.

It looked like a bun of curls, with a thick braid wrapped around it. There were two thin strands of hair near the front of her face that were curled. It looked very professional, and Gillian loved it. "It's beautiful!" Gillian beamed. "When did you learn how to do this?"

"About a month ago." The teen answered. She pulled out her phone, and pulled up some pictures of many different updos. She handed the phone to Gillian. "I looked up YouTube videos, and Jessica has been letting me practice." She explained. "Your hair was harder, it's darker, and harder to see. But I'm glad it turned out okay!"

"Seriously, she looks beautiful, Em. Is there enough time for you to do something to mine?" Erin asked. She was already dressed in her bridesmaid dress.

Emily glanced at the time. "Yeah, plenty. Have a seat!" She gestured toward the free chair. She started brushing Erin's hair back, and pinning it where she needed to. The blonde's hair was thick and soft. "Your hair is beautiful, Erin! I wish mine was this soft!"

Erin laughed. "You can have my hair!"

"Emily positioned the hair high, and started to curl different sections, pinning them carefully. She looked up for a moment. "Ria, I won't have time to do yours. Is that okay?"

Ria nodded. "Yes, that's fine. I prefer mine down anyway."

"Me too!" Emily agreed. She looked at the clock again, and her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not sure I'll have enough time to curl my own hair, though."

"I can help with that." Ria said, plugging in her own curling iron. "Give me a minute, we can work this out."

Emily laughed. "Thanks, Ria. It shouldn't need much, I just want to define my curls a bit more." She bent over Erin again, pinning curls on the top of her head.

"No worries, Em. I know how annoying it is to have limp curls." Ria answered. While Emily was bent over Erin, Ria began curling her hair in sections. Gillian found it funny. Erin was sitting, and Emily was bent over her, and Ria was bent over Emily. It was like a train of hairstyling.

Gillian was about to take out her phone to take a picture when there was a knock on the door. She wasn't expecting anyone. She looked over at the door, and a male voice that she didn't recognize spoke. "Are you ladies decent?"

Her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth drifted to the left side of her face. She looked around at her bridesmaids, and they were as clueless as she was. "Um, yeah. Who's there?" She finally answered.

"Oh! I'm sorry. My name is Joel, I'm the photographer."

"Joel!" Erin exclaimed, a smile on her face. "You sound different talking through a door." Gillian laughed at her friend and opened the door for the young photographer. He had dark blonde curly hair, and an athletic build, with striking green eyes.

Gillian held out her hand to shake his. He gripped her hand firmly. "Hello, Joel. It's nice to meet you."

He smiled, and if Gillian was twenty again, he would have stolen her heart. "It's nice to meet you too. I'm going to guess by the white dress that you are the bride, Gillian?" He spoke with a slight southern accent.

She smiled and laughed. "You would be right!" She gestured toward the hairdressing train. "Well, you already know Erin, and behind her is my soon-to-be step-daughter, Emily, and behind her is my friend Ria."

"Hi Mrs. Morani, it's nice to see you again. And nice to meet you both." He held up his camera. "I like this train going on. Is it alright if I snap a few pictures while you all get ready?"

There was a chorus of yeses from all four women, so he snapped away. The women continued conversing as if he wasn't there.

Gillian slipped a towel around her shoulders to touch up her make up without it getting all over her dress. "Alright, Em. I've seen you a ton this last week. When do you head back to school?" She asked.

"I leave Sunday night, the same as you and Dad. That way I can say goodbye to all the English relatives as they leave on Saturday, and spend the day Sunday with my Mom. But catch a ride to the airport with you and Dad." She had pinned all the curls on Erin's head, and was focusing on braiding and straightening the side pieces.

Gillian laughed. "How resourceful of you to catch a ride!"

Emily looked up. "Well, what else did you want me to do?" She asked, laughing back. "If you want, I can hitch a ride with Mom, I'm sure."

Gillian shook her head. "I'm just kidding. We would love to see you off to California."

Emily pulled away from the hair train for a moment to grab her phone off the counter. She pointed it in Gillian's direction and snapped a few quick pictures. She looked at them and smiled. "I like this one!" She passed the phone over to Gillian.

Gillian's mouth opened. "Seriously, Em, I don't know how you get pictures this quality on a cell phone!" The picture showed a close up of Gillian's face, the make-up brush just under her eye on her cheekbone. It looked really professional.

Erin stole the phone from Gillian as Emily went back to finishing her hair. Ria had moved on to her own hair, but peered over Erin's shoulder to look. "And you are going to school for journalism, not photography why?" Erin asked.

Emily shrugged. "I don't know. I like taking pictures, but it's over so quick. I really like writing, the whole writing process, editing and re-editing. I don't know, just snapping a picture seems too easy for me." She looked quickly over at the photographer. "Sorry, no offense to you, it's just not for me I guess."

He shrugged and grinned at her. "It's alright, none taken. There is more to it than just pressing a button you know!" He laughed and held out his hand. "Do you mind if I take a look?" Emily shook her head and handed him the phone. As he looked at it, his eyebrows raised. He handed the phone back. "If you take pictures like that, I don't see why you hired me, ma'am" He joked with a goofy grin on his face.

Emily couldn't help but laugh. "It's hard to be in the ceremony and take pictures of it at the same time."

Ria laughed. "Excuse me Father, I need to snap a photo of this kiss, if you don't mind moving out of the way!" She joked, and the whole room burst into laughter.

"Oh, Em, I can just see you dancing around in everyone's way as you tried to get pictures of us exchanging rings!" Gillian cried.

"Oh wait! I missed that part, can you do it again!" Emily shouted.

"This time, with feeling!" Erin added. The whole room was in stitches.

When they calmed down, Emily put the final touches in Erin's hair, and pulled a brown stretch comb out of her purse to pull the stray hairs out of her eyes. She hated hair in her face. She touched up her eye makeup really quick, and sat, waiting for everyone else to finish getting ready. While Gillian and Erin reminisced, and Ria curled her hair, Joel walked over and talked to Emily for a bit. They talked about school and photography and classes. Joel wanted to be a photojournalist, so they had a lot of that stuff in common. "How long have you lived in DC?" Emily asked, noting his slight accent.

"Since I was twelve. My Mom needed to move here for business, and my Dad got a job doing social work." He explained.

Emily nodded. "So then, do you feel pretty much at home here?" She asked.

Joel laughed. "Yes, the area I came from in Louisiana was quiet. My town was small, and I didn't have a lot of friends. In DC, I feel like there is always something going on. So I like it here way better." He answered honestly.

Emily nodded, understanding. She didn't think she would like small towns. This is when Gillian made the announcement that it was time to line up. Ria had finished her hair, and it was practically time to go.

"Wait! Gill!" Emily practically shouted. "Let me go let Dad know, so he doesn't accidentally see you in your dress!" and with that, she bolted from the room.

Erin was laughing. "I don't know, Gill, maybe you should give her a couple minutes to get things settled!" she suggested.

About a minute later, Emily came back, red faced. "Dad's at the front of the altar, Nancy got the children all settled and ready to go. They are waiting for us were we enter." She blurted.

Gillian laughed. "There is no rush. Please, Em, catch your breath before we head out. You don't want any pictures with your face as red as it is!"

Emily nodded fervently. "Yes I do! I bet it looks funny!" She turned toward Joel. "Take a picture! I want to see it!" The room laughed. She posed as Joel took a picture of her red face.

"Alright. Let's walk quietly over to the entrance. I don't want anyone else to be out of breath." Gillian said. She pointed at Emily. "Lead the way!"

At the entryway, Sarah and Sadie were waiting. They had matching green dresses, but Sarah's hair was in a tight bun on her head, and Sadie's hair was down and in curls. When they saw Gillian, their faces lit up. "Auntie Gill, you look beautiful!" Sadie squealed.

Gillian ran her hand down the girl's head, feeling the smoothness of her hair. "Thank you, Sadie. You two also look beautiful." She looked over at the boys, not wanting them to feel left out. "You guys look handsome as well." She smiled warmly at them as they grinned with pride.

"Thank you." Thomas answered. He looked shyly around at all the people. "Everyone looks lovely." He finally said.

"Hey Gillybean." Gillian turned at the sound of her Father's voice. She smiled, and gave him a big hug. "You look wonderful." He whispered.

"Thanks." Gillian whispered back. She released him from the hug, and held back her tears. She couldn't let her make up run now!

Out of the blue, Allison, the newest receptionist showed up. "Line up, everyone!" she whispered, smiling. She helped everyone into position, and signaled quickly to the man controlling the sound booth. Nancy took her seat, and Allison stood by the doorway, hidden from view, to help each group know when to start walking. As the wedding march started, Allison sent them walking down the aisle. First, Ria, then Erin, and last, Emily. Next, Thomas and Lawrence followed, each carrying one of the wedding bands. Next, Sadie and Sarah literally danced down the aisle, dropping flower petals as they went. Gillian laughed as Sadie stood at the altar like she was supposed to, but Sarah stood at the end of the aisle, basket upside down, toppling the rest of her flower petals. Nancy looked back at Gillian, who was waiting apologetically, and Gillian flashed her a smile, trying her best to let Nancy know it was okay. When Sarah joined her sister at the altar, the guests all looked back, and stood, waiting for Gillian to walk down the aisle.

Cal couldn't hide the grin on his face if he tried. Every inch of his body radiated happiness at that moment. It was like a beacon, drawing Gillian closer to him. She hoped he felt the same way watching her. She felt her Father's arm tighten around her, and she paused to look up at him, flashing a reassuring smile. When they got to the altar, her Father left her, and joined Jeanne and her Mother in the front row. Gillian handed her flowers to Emily, and turned to face Cal. He looked her up and down now that she was closer. "Wow." He mouthed.

Samuel, the Justice of the Peace, and a long term client of the Lightman group started the Ceremony. "I have known Cal and Gillian for a number of years. I have never seen him rendered speechless. Nicely done, Gillian." The congregation laughed, and Cal shook his head. "We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, the joining of two hearts. In this ceremony today we will witness the joining of Gillian and Cal in marriage." He grinned, and gestured toward Cal. "Cal, could you face the congregation, please?" Cal did as he was told. "If there is anyone present who believes that this couple should not be united, don't speak, and Cal will hunt you down later. He's reading you all right now." The congregation and the wedding party laughed. Gillian had to wipe tears from her eyes, and Even Cal was smiling. He turned back towards Gillian. Samuel continued. "Today we have come together to witness the joining of these two lives. For them, out of the routine of ordinary life, the extraordinary has happened. They met each other, fell in love and are finalizing it with their wedding today. Romance is fun, but true love is something far more and it is their desire to love each other for life, and that is what we are celebrating here today."

"A good marriage must be created. In marriage the "little" things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say," I love you" at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is standing together and facing the world. It is speaking words of appreciation, and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is not only marrying the right person - it is being the right partner."

"I believe that you two have written your own vows. Cal, why don't you start?" Cal nodded. He took Gillian's hand in his, and looked her straight in the eye.

"Gill, I never thought I could have this. You know, I've always had this saying. Truth or happiness, never both. I think about it now and how cynical it was, and how you used to listen to me say it all the time. Well, now I feel like an arse. This whole relationship, you have proven that to be wrong, even before we were dating. I've always been able to trust you, and I've always been happiest with you. You have shown me what it means to love unconditionally, because I certainly don't believe that I deserve someone as amazing as you. So I promise never to utter or even think that phrase again. I promise to always be truthful with you. I promise to be present in our family. I promise not to push you away when it gets hard, and to let you in. And I promise to slow dance with you more. I promise to love you until the end of our days." Gillian's heart felt like it would burst out of her chest. She hadn't thought of that phrase in ages, but she had always hated it. Now she was glad she could forget it for good.

"Gill, you go next." Samuel prompted.

Gillian took a deep breath. "Cal, I can't believe we are finally here. Here after all the years of flirting, fighting, and dancing around that line. I'm sorry about the line, I should have abolished that ages ago." She shook her head. That line was her idea, and a terrible one. She continued. "At first, when we first started our relationship, when I thought about all that time I could have spent with you, I got mad. We could have had so much fun, Cal, and more time together if I had taken the time to get my head out of the sand, and read the signs you were throwing at me. But now I realize, I have you now, that's all I need. And we have some great things coming up, I just know it. So I promise not to live in the past and to live in the present. I promise to make you breakfast more often." She stopped, and looked behind her, where Emily was standing. She grabbed the teen's hand. "I promise to love your daughter as my own, even though I think you both know, I already do." She squeezed Emily's hand, and smiled warmly at her. She saw the tears forming in the teen's eyes. She let go and turned back to Cal. "I promise to keep flirting with you. I promise not to nag you about stupid things. And I promise to love you until we cease to exist." Her eyes were tearing up now. And there was still an entire ceremony to go.

Samuel continued. " Gillian and Cal, I would ask that you always treat yourself and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together today. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves. When frustration and difficulty assail your marriage - as they do to every relationship at one time or another - focus on what still seems right between you, not only the part that seems wrong. This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and happiness."

"Cal, do you take Gillian to be your Wife?" Samuel asked.

"I do." Cal answered, nodding.

"Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her forevermore?"

"I do." Cal answered again, staring directly into Gillian's eyes.

"Gillian, do you take Cal to be your Husband?

Gillian looked directly into Cal's eyes. She knew what he was looking for. He was looking for a tiny sliver of doubt. But she wasn't worried, she knew he wouldn't see it. You can't see emotions that don't exist. "I do" She answered, nodding enthusiastically.

"Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him forevermore?

"I do" she answered again.

"Who has the rings?" Samuel asked. The boys came forward, and handed them to the Justice of the Peace. Samuel held them up. "The ring is a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken. Cal, repeat after me."

Cal looked up at Gillian again, repeating after Samuel. "I Cal, take thee, Gillian to be my wife- To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise my love to you. And with this ring, I take you as my wife, for as long as we both shall live." He slid the ring on her finger with ease.

"Gillian, repeat after me."

Gillian looked up at Cal. Even he was crying now. She hadn't seen that from him before, or at least not often. "I Gillian, take thee, Cal to be my husband - To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise my love to you. And with this ring, I take you as my husband, for as long as we both shall live." She slid the ring on his finger. \

"To make your relationship work will take love. This is the core of your marriage and why you are here today. It will take trust, to know, that in your hearts, you truly want what is best for each other. It will take dedication, to stay open to one another - and to learn and grow together. And it will take commitment, to hold true to the journey you both have pledged to today."

"By the power vested in me I now pronounce you Man and wife. You may kiss your bride." At that, Cal wrapped his arms around Gillian. Their lips touched, and Gillian felt butterflies in her entire body. She felt like she was floating. She felt more euphoric as Cal dipped her. When they came up, everyone was clapping. Emily had tears in her eyes. Cal and Gillian walked together to the back of the room.

Once in the hallway, Gillian took the opportunity to kiss her husband again. She held him close to her, intimately. She ran her fingers through his hair. When she pulled away, she grinned at him. "Ever the dramatic one, huh?"

He grinned, sheepishly. "I got caught up in the moment. Can't blame me for that, luv." He waved his finger around in a circular motion, asking Gillian to turn for him. "You look incredible, by the way. Absolutely stunning, luv."

"You're not too bad yourself." She teased, kissing him again, softly.

They were interrupted by Emily. "Not to break up the love fest here, the guests are making their way to the dining hall, and Joel wants to get wedding pictures. We should try to move this along so the guests don't get too antsy."

Gillian nodded. "Right. Can you just make sure that we grab my parents, Nancy, and Alice please for family photos?"

Emily laughed. "Way ahead of you, Gill. We are heading outside, to get pictures with the fall colors." She pointed toward the door. "Let's go." She led the way, and they followed. The rest of the party was waiting by a tree with orange, red and brown leaves.

"Alright, I know its cold, so let's try to do this quickly. I need the entire wedding party to line up please, bridesmaids next to the bride, groomsmen next to the groom please." Joel yelled out instructions and directed traffic like this for a while. He got a few pictures of the entire party, some of just the men, and some of just the women. "Alright, if you are not family, or not the Maid of Honor or Best Man, you can head back inside." Ria, Erin and Eli all cheered and ran back inside the hall.

"Alright, one big family picture, please? Bride's side with her, groom's side with him. Children in front, I guess." He directed traffic again, arranging the large group of people again. "Alright, now just the parents." This group was relatively smaller. He did a bunch of photos like this.

"Okay, you all can go except the Maid of Honor and Best Man."

"Good. It's cold." Sadie said, marching toward the door. Gillian couldn't help but laugh.

Joel arranged a few pictures of the four people that were left, George on Cal's left and Emily on Gillian's right. Just a picture of George and Cal, and one of Emily and Gillian. "George, you are free to go." He finally said.

He laughed. "That's great, because I am in agreement with Sarah, its cold." Gillian had to laugh at this, and didn't have the heart to tell him right now that he got the girls mixed up. She couldn't blame him.

Joel started to direct them again. "Okay. I would like to get a few nice family photos, and one silly one. Is that okay?" he asked.

Gillian nodded. "Whatever you would like."

"Okay. Emily, if you could stand in the middle. I would like Cal on her left please, Gillian on her right. Perfect. Okay, put your arms around each other. Great!" He snapped a few pictures. Emily had her arms around both of them. "Alright. Now, Emily, remember what we talked about? You can do that now." Gillian felt the teen's arm shift behind her back. She grinned, as Joel took the picture. "Great, guys. One more." They unwrapped their arms from each other, and Gillian looked at Emily.

"Did you give us bunny ears?" She asked.

Emily grinned slyly. "Maybe, maybe not. You'll have to wait and see!" Gillian laughed in spite of herself.

Joel began talking again. "Okay. Here's what I want. I would love it if you two could kiss, dip her again if you want to. Em, if you could stand off to the side and look disgusted, or shocked, that would be awesome." They all laughed at the idea. Emily got her face ready, and Cal dipped Gillian again, kissing her hungrily. Joel snapped some pictures, and put his camera down. "Perfect. Thanks a ton. Let's head inside." He announced.

"Wait." Gillian interjected. "Can we get a picture of just Emily and Cal?"

"No." Emily refused, shaking her head. When Gillian looked at her confused, she continued. "It's not just me and Dad in the picture anymore, Gill. You are part of the picture too. I don't want you to feel obligated to get a picture of just me and Dad."

Gillian smiled. It made her happy that Emily accepted her so much. "You don't want a picture with just your father? We have one with the three of us, and we have one with just you and I. I just thought it might be something that you wanted."

Emily nodded. "I do. But we still have the father-daughter dance for that." She said. Without arguing more, she headed towards the door, followed closely by Joel.

Cal put his arm around Gillian's waist, and Gillian put hers around his back. They walked together toward the building again. Cal watched the back of Joel's head intently. "Does he seem to be paying extra attention to her?" He asked.

Gillian shrugged. "They are the same age, and have similar interests. I wouldn't be surprised if she throws attention his way." She looked up at him. "She is actually allowed to date people, you know?" she teased.

"Yeah, I know." Gillian rested her head on his shoulder as they headed back into the building. Allison was waiting by the reception hall, and everyone was all lined up.

"It's about time! Seriously, we've been waiting for you guys!" Emily shouted.

Gillian laughed. "Okay! Cue the music then, we're ready to go." Allison did just that. She made a thumbs up at the DJ, who started playing Bruno Mars' _I Think I Want to Marry You._

"Alright, here we go! First we have Miss Sadie being escorted by Sir Thomas. Come on in you guys!" When they heard their names, they walked into the hall, stopping right in the middle of the dance floor. "Next we have Miss Sarah escorted by Sir Lawrence." Sarah danced her way to the middle of the dance floor, Lawrence following at her heels. "Next, the lovely Ria Torres, escorted by Eli Loker." Ria and Eli joined the crew of children, arm in arm. "Next, Miss Erin Morani, Escorted by Nicholas Anderson." When Nick and Erin reached the dance floor, Nick picked up Sarah, and began to dance with her. "Followed by the Maid of Honor, Emily Lightman, escorted by the Best Man, George Lightman." Emily walked arm in arm with her uncle, and joined the party that was dancing in the middle of the dance floor. "And, I am proud to present, for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Cal and Gillian Lightman!" The guests all clapped as Cal and Gillian made their way to the middle of the dance floor. They kissed once they reached the dance floor, and quickly joined in to dance with their wedding party. When the music stopped, they made their way to the front table, so they could eat.

The caterers the hall hired were great. Gillian loved her grilled chicken and the roasted asparagus. It tasted delicious, but what she was waiting for was the cake, which wouldn't be cut until later in the night. Instead, when thy finished, they made their way to the dance floor, for their first dance as man and wife.

_Every time our eyes meet, this feeling inside me, Is almost more than I can take. Baby when you touch me, I can feel how much you love me, and it just blows me away. _Gillian's body melted into Cal's. This was her happy place. His touch on her back was like electricity, his forehead against hers brought them intimately close. And she knew, without a doubt, that she was going to love this. _I don't know how you do what you do, I'm so in love with you, it just keeps getting better. I wanna spend the rest of my life, with you by my side, Forever and ever. Every little thing that you do, Baby I'm amazed by you. _Everything Cal did for her, even the little things, like cook breakfast, or write a little note, made her fall more in love with him every day. She didn't know how he did it, she had never pegged him as a romantic. And yet, he had waltzed into her life and swept her off of her feet. _Oh it feels like the first time every time, I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes. _They kissed, and it still sent that same shot of electricity through her whole body like it did the first time they kissed. Back when they were both so fragile. He had been so gentle, much like he was being now. _Baby I'm amazed by you._

Before she knew it, the song was over. A faster song was playing, one Gillian didn't recognize. Soon, the dance floor was filled with people. Family and friends that traveled from far away to see this wedding. Cal and Gillian found Ria, Alex, Eli and Carrie quickly. They formed their usual group, and danced along with the songs. Emily was dancing with the children, keeping them company. After a few songs, Gillian felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around. "Ben!" She shouted, wrapping her friend in a hug.

"I just wanted to know who won the pool." He joked, hugging her tightly. They pulled away from each other, and Cal joined them, shaking Ben's hand. "Congratulations you two. You are meant for each other." He said.

"I'm just so glad you could make it. Losing you was the worst thing about losing that FBI contract." She smiled warmly at him.

"Seriously, I hate hacking into FBI databases, they're hard to crack." Cal teased.

"Do I have to change my password again?" Ben asked. The two of them laughed.

The DJ turned in a slower song, Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle. "Alright, it is time for the father daughter dance. If you are a daughter with a father or father-figure, we invite you to join in this dance." The DJ announced.

"I have to go, Ben. We'll catch up later. I have to find my Dad." Gillian hugged him again.

"Yeah, and I have to find my daughter." Cal responded, looking around.

"That's okay you two. I'll find you later. Congrats again." Ben waved as he walked away. Gillian found her father relatively quick. Chuck wrapped his arm around Gillian's waist, and clasped his hand in hers.

"How are you doing, Gillybean?" he asked.

"I think I should be asking you the same thing." She responded, laughing.

He chuckled. "I'm okay." He brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face. She was beaming. "You are so happy. I'm glad to see you've found someone who makes you this happy."

She smiled more. "How couldn't I be? I mean, look at him." She pointed over to where he was dancing with Emily. Watching them interact made her so happy, and when it involved her, it made her feel so welcome. She was glad she was invited to be a witness into their private moments like the one they were having now. "He's given me everything I've ever wanted. A career, and a family. Just look at how good he is with her. And you've seen him with Sarah and Sadie. It warms my heart to see that."

"Is that what you want?" he asked. His question startled her.

"Yes. I want a family with him so badly. He was willing to start all over with me. I would love to see him dance like that with our own little girl one day." She answered, truthfully. "But for now, Emily is the best daughter I could have asked for. And I'm happy she is in our lives." Gillian didn't add that if it wasn't for Emily, They would probably still be doing the line dance right about now. When the song changed, she hugged her father one last time. "I'm going to go find my husband, okay Dad?' she asked.

"Of course, Gillybean. Go find him. I love you."

"I love you too, Dad." She answered.

Gillian was behind Cal, when she saw Joel ask if it was okay to cut in. Cal nodded, and gestured for Emily to follow the young photographer. Gillian smiled, glad that the two had hit it off, even if it didn't amount to anything. She wrapped her arms around her husband, sneaking up on him from behind. Oi! Gill, what do you think?" he asked her.

"I think, it's almost time for dessert." She answered.


	39. Chapter 39

This time of year was the best. Gillian had always loved the cold weather and the dry air, being able to see her breath in front of her. And the snow. Snow was Gillian's favorite. It was beautiful and bright, and reminded her of all the fun she used to have with Nick.

She was a little bummed that she was spending so much time away from it all. Between foster parent classes and catching up with all the work they missed on their honeymoon, Gillian hadn't spent much time outside at all. She gazed longingly out her bedroom window, her laptop perched on her legs, watching the light snowfall outside.

She wasn't expecting it, when Cal took a running leap from their doorway to her bed. He landed with a thud, and Gillian worried that the bed was going to break. She couldn't help but smile at the playful look in his eyes. "Do you want to build a snowman?" he asked, eyebrows raised, looking pleased with himself.

"I want to finish this paperwork." Gillian answered, glancing back at her computer screen. Before she knew it, it had been shut, so she couldn't see the payroll she had been working on. "Hey!" she exclaimed with surprise.

"That is a deflection, luv." He pushed himself up with his arms so he was standing by the side of the bed. "Let's go, put on your gear."

Gillian shook her head. "Cal, I don't have any gear, all I have is a jacket." At this, Cal smiled more. He walked out of the room, and came back in with a plastic bag. He pulled out a pair of ski pants and a pair of boots, and dropped them on the bed.

"Now you have gear. So put it on and let's go!" He walked out of the room. "I'll be waiting!" he called out as he went down the stairs.

Cal had seen Gillian look out the window all week, and he knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted to spend more time out of the house and in the snow. She had always loved the snow. But Gillian was like him, she cared a lot about their business, so she was putting it first. So he was going to put her first.

Outside, he had gathered an old hat and scarf, tree branches, a carrot, and some rocks he had found at a craft store. They were meant for floral arrangements, but they would work perfectly for what they needed it to.

He hadn't heard Gillian come out, but when she sat down beside him, he could hear her breathing. When he looked at her, her mouth was formed in an "o" while she breathed out. "Making your breath dance, luv?" he asked. Her smile was confirmation enough. He laughed. "Well, you can do that later. Lets make ourselves a snowman!" With that, Cal stood up, and started gathering snow around him to make the large ball that goes on the bottom. Gillian ran around, making the smaller ball that goes in the middle. Cal finished his, and flattened the top, so the snowman would be less likely to fall. Gillian placed her snowball on top, and started on the smallest one for the head. Cal put the arms on and placed four rocks down the middle of the second ball, like buttons on a shirt. When Gillian placed the head on top, they stopped.

"Well Dr. Lightman, what expression would you say this snowman is flashing?" Gillian asked him, leaning in close and kissing him softly.

Cal laughed at her cheekiness. "I think that he is showing pure happiness, what about you?"

Gillian nodded. "I agree." Cal placed rocks where a mouth should be, the corners of the mouth turned upwards into a smile. Gillian placed the nose on his face, and went around the back to place a hat on his head while Cal placed the eyes. The last thing they put on was the scarf.

They stood back, and admired their handy work. Gillian's arm was around Cal's waist, and his arm was around her shoulder. He turned and kissed the side of her head. "I think it looks great, don't you?" he asked.

She shivered. "Yeah, the best." She huddled in closer to his warmth. Cal's gloves were soaked through, and it wasn't until he noticed Gillian shivering that he realized he was cold as well.

"How about we go inside, and I'll make hot chocolate?" he suggested. Her face lit up when he mentioned chocolate. She nodded and walked toward the house. "Just promise me one thing." She turned around to hear his request. "No more work tonight, okay?" he asked. She had been working so hard, and there was plenty of time tomorrow.

She nodded. "Deal." With that, she ran back in to the warm house, eager to get out of her wet clothes. Inside, Cal peeled off his own wet clothes, and left them in a pile by the door to deal with later. He put water in the kettle and put that on the stove, waiting for it to boil. While he waited, he moved his wet clothes to the bathroom downstairs, hanging them on the shower rod. Back in the kitchen, he got two cups. One, he emptied a hot chocolate packet into and the other he placed two tea bags in. When the water was boiling, he poured it into each of the cups. He mixed Gillian's hot chocolate and added a handful of mini marshmallows on top. He headed upstairs with both cups.

When he got to the bedroom, he found Gillian with a manila folder and papers strewn everywhere. "What did I ask?" he teased, watching her jump. She hadn't heard him.

"This isn't _work_ work, this is fostering work." She explained, taking the mug of hot chocolate. "I'm trying to finish up paperwork, and we need to ask people for reference letters."

Cal nodded, and sat down beside her, sipping his tea. "Can we ask relatives?" he asked.

Gillian nodded. "Yes. But they can't all be from relatives. I kind of wanted to ask Nick."

Cal nodded. That made sense, Nick had seen them both interact with his children. "What about Em?" He asked, trying to be helpful.

"That's what I was going to suggest next. She has insight on your parenting style." Gillian paused. "I was thinking we could ask Ria for the last one."

Cal nodded. "Whatever you want to do, luv." He chuckled. "Now that we have that figured out, put all that away. We can work on it tomorrow." He made a mental note to put time aside for that. "I want to talk to my wife." He said.

She smiled, and organized everything back into the folder. "What would you like to talk about?" she asked.

"Did I tell you what Loker did today?" Cal started. She watched him tell his story, totally engaged in everything he was saying. They continued like this for around an hour until Gillian rested her head on his chest and they both fell asleep.

* * *

To whom it may concern,

I'm not going to lie, my upbringing was different, I had a unique experience that most kids don't have. My Dad can read facial expressions. As a result, it was harder for me to be able to get away with all the stupid things teenagers do. People may think that made me resent my father, when in truth, it just made us respect each other more. When I talk, I know he is listening, using every sense at his disposal. His listening made him able to respond, and it fostered this incredible sense of mutual respect in the two of us that most of my friends envied. My Dad and I have a great relationship to this day, and I don't doubt that it will continue on for the rest of our lives.

Gillian doesn't know how much she means to me. She has been my Dad's business partner for more than 10 years, and I have known her almost that entire duration. She started as a friend, someone cool to spend time with at the office when Dad was busy finishing a case. When my Mom got busy trying to start her own firm, suddenly Gillian was like a second mom to me. She helped me through the awkward high school years, helped me pick out my prom dress, and let me cry on her shoulder when I broke up with my boyfriend. For most every milestone in my life, Gillian has been there, and she means the world to me. If anyone deserves to help out a child in need, it's her.

Sincerely, Emily Louise Lightman

* * *

To whom it may concern,

I have known Gillian my entire life. She was always there for me, sticking up for me to playground bullies, and helping me through our parent's divorce. She is the older sister everyone wanted, because she didn't antagonize me, she helped me. She always wanted to see me at my best. Years later, she is the same. She even watches out for my marriage. Every other week, she watches my twin girls so that my wife and I can have some time for ourselves. It gives us the time we need to work on us.

Meanwhile, my girls adore Gillian, they always have. And she is invested. My wife and I just can't get into all the shows my kids watch, or listen to the popular music, but Gillian can. She loves to talk with them about whatever new is happening on Wizards of Waverly Place, or Good Luck Charlie. When she talks to them, she kneels down, at their level, so they don't have to look up at her. She relates to my girls on a personal level. Sometimes I like to think they helped her.

She had a daughter once, a baby she adopted named Sophie. Gillian was such an involved Mom, doting on that little girl and loving her with all her heart. I had never seen her so happy. Fifty seven days later, Sophie's birth mother changed her mind, and took her back. Gillian was devastated, and I didn't blame her. She retreated to herself for about a week, and I know Cal was immense support to her during that time, before they were together romantically. I think he was the one who convinced her to call me, and to ask to see my girls. Sarah and Sadie intuitively never mentioned Sophie, whom they had grown to love, they just showered Gillian with as much love and affection as they could muster in their little bodies. And it gave her back her hope.

I think Cal has done a lot too. I've only known him for about two years, but Gillian is so much happier when she is around him. Plus, he has raised one amazing daughter, with great morals and values, that my girls have grown to admire. I don't think you could find a more deserving pair of people to be foster parents.

Sincerely, Nicholas John Anderson

* * *

To whom it may concern,

I was surprised when Cal and Gillian asked me to write them a recommendation letter. I get them wanting one from a coworker, but our colleague, Eli Loker, has known them longer. I was brought into the practice around four years ago, and it is been one crazy ride. But here's what I can tell you from the short amount of time I have known them.

Cal has one incredible daughter, and they have a relationship that I always envied, as I did not have a good relationship with my father. Emily is a brilliant, upstanding, an amazing young woman, so Cal must've done something right. She also has a very unique bond with Gillian, a relationship I have seen up close for the last two years. Gillian may not call Emily her daughter, but she treats her like one.

Gillian had to pick her nieces up from school one day. She brought into the office with her. I watch her interact with them, and I watch them respond to her. They were well behaved and polite, and their faces bore expressions of true happiness. When Cal came out to meet them, they got more excited, which I did not believe as possible. Cal got down on the ground, putting himself at their level, really talking connecting to the girls. If I didn't know better, I would've thought they were family.

Every once in a while, we get a case, where child's in danger. Those cases are the ones that could solve the fastest. They stop work on all other cases, and focus all their attention on saving a child. Those are also the cases that wear on them the most. I know Cal used to go home and spend extra quality time with Emily. I'm not sure what Gillian used to do, but I know they dreaded these cases.

I recently found out I am pregnant. Gillian has been so supportive, sometimes I feel like she is more excited about this baby than I am. I have seen Gillian light up around two things in this world. One of them is Cal, and the other one is children. Cal and Gillian would make great foster parents, of this I am sure.

Sincerely, Ria Torres


	40. Chapter 40

Forget butterflies in her stomach, Gillian had butterflies everywhere. She had just arranged the living room for the fourth time today, and had bugged Cal to double check the kitchen to make sure the dishes were all done twice. When he emerged from the kitchen to find pillows in her hand again, he made her sit down.

"You've done this before, luv. What's to worry about?" He asked her, sitting next to her, and pulling her towards him, so she was leaning against him. He hugged her tightly, making her feel safe and secure, and the butterflies slowly dissipated.

"I was like this with Alec too." She answered. Visits before they adopted Sophie were scary. She was always worried that something small would come up and she wouldn't be approved. It's crazy, but once she held Sophie in her arms, she thought she was home free. How wrong she had been. But this time around, it was the same nerves. She had a different partner, a different house, and she was a very different Gillian. "What if we don't get approved?" She asked, her voice shaking.

Cal kissed the top of her head softly. "We will cross that bridge if we get to it, luv." Gillian didn't want to consider that possibility, but this time around, she was going in with a different head. She knew that things didn't always work out, and she was trying not to get her hopes up.

She snuggled in closer to him. "Are you nervous?" she asked.

She felt him shrug underneath her. "I guess, but I don't know what to expect. You've been through this once." For a while, they were silent. Gillian listened to Cal breathe, and it relaxed her. She finally picked up the television remote, and switched to the built in Netflix server. She selected their favorite show, Warehouse 13, picked a random episode, and hit play.

It was an interesting concept that had Gillian hooked from the very first episode. These magical artifacts out in the world that had the power to destroy humanity, and the two secret service agents that get thrown into it all. Gillian had gone through most of season one when Cal started watching with her. It was now one of those things where they could pick a random episode and just watch, enjoying each other's company while doing something mindless.

Gillian had lost track of time when she heard a knock on the door. Lucy began barking, running towards the door, and waiting for the person she assumed was there to see her. Cal was the first one up. "Back up, Lucy." He admonished, pulling her away from the door by her collar. Gillian joined him while they opened the door, allowing the social worker into their house. "Hello." Cal said, thrusting his hand out to the younger man. "I'm Cal, and this is my wife, Gillian." He pointed over in her general direction.

Gillian shook the young man's hand. "Gill. It's nice to meet you."

He smiled back at her. "Likewise. My name is Mitchell Hayes, but feel free to call me Mitch." He looked around quickly. "Nice place you've got here." He turned back toward Gillian. "So, you must be the famous Gillian that Erin talks about."

When Gillian found out that he knew Erin, she felt relief flood over her. This became a little more familiar, and eased her a bit. "I guess so!" She laughed, walking toward the living room. "We were roommates in college." She explained as she walked. "We are still really close friends now."

He nodded. "That's great." He looked around the living room. "So, typically, I like to get a tour of the place, and while we do that I will ask some questions. Then, we can sit down, chat a bit more, and we will be done for today. We will schedule another appointment for next week at the end of the day." Cal nodded, listening to what he had to say. This was something he had never experienced before.

Cal stepped forward first. "Okay. So this is our living room, where Gill and I spend most of our time together." He gestured around. "Not much to see, I guess." He shrugged, and walked on. "Through these doors is one of my favorite rooms, the kitchen." Gillian was glad that all the dishes were put away, and it looked as if Cal had organized it as well.

"How often do you sit down for family dinners?" Mitchell asked, looking around and taking notes.

"Right now, maybe once a week, but sometimes more. It depends on the cases at work." Gillian answered. Mitchell wrote that down, and continued.

"Is this a dining room through here?" He asked, pointing through another door.

Gillian nodded. "Yes. We can fit ten people in there."

"Well, we can fit more, but it's not very comfortable." Cal responded, and Gillian giggled, thinking back to thanksgiving, when they had to try and fit eighteen.

"Big family?" Mitchell asked.

Cal nodded. "Yeah, but I never noticed until we hosted thanksgiving here last year." He answered. He walked toward the living room again. "Shall we head upstairs?" He asked.

Mitchell nodded, and followed Cal through the living room and to the stairs. "So, why did you decide to foster?" He asked.

Gillian followed behind the two of them. "Well, I can't have children, and I had a bad adoption experience. I want children in my life, and this seemed like the best option, giving them somewhere safe and nurturing while they wait for their family members to get better. Just knowing that I helped them in some ways would make me happy." She answered. They had stopped in the guest bedroom first. Gillian had painted it a bright yellow, and there was one bed set up in the corner. They also had a crib and a second bed in storage if needed. Gillian had bought toys for kids of all ages. It looked like a child actually lived in that room.

"What about you, Cal?" Mitchell asked, writing down notes.

Cal shrugged. "I want to start a family with my wife. I will do that however she wants to, so I back her decision 100%."

"Gill, if you found yourself pregnant one day, do you think it would affect your decision?" Mitchell asked.

Gillian wasn't offended by the question, although she could tell Cal was. She knew they had to worry about the well being of any child placed in their care, and favoritism wasn't a good environment to raise children in. "No." She answered, truthfully.

"No doubt in that face at all." Cal mumbled, and Gillian stifled a laugh.

"What was that?" Mitchell asked, turning around to look Cal in the eyes.

Gillian stopped for a moment, watching the exchange. "I'm just saying, there wasn't any doubt in her expression." Cal answered carefully. "I know you can't see what I see, so it may seem like I am playing you, but she means it when she says it."

Gillian shrugged. "What can I say, Cal. I told you I don't doubt anything as long as I am with you." Cal smiled at this. He wanted to kiss her, but he wasn't sure how the personal display of affection would sit with the social worker on this very important decision. Instead, he led them back into the hallway, and into Emily's room.

"Who lives here?" Mitchell asked, looking around.

"My daughter, Emily. She's in school in California right now, but her Mum and I share custody." Cal answered.

"How old is Emily?" Mitchell asked, making his way around her bedroom.

"She'll be nineteen in a few weeks." Gillian answered.

"And, how do you and Emily get along?" Mitchell asked them both.

Gillian smiled, thinking about the teen. "Well, I think of her as my own. And watching her interact with Cal has been one of my favorite pastimes over the last ten years, they have so much respect for each other, it's incredible."

"She changed my life for the better." Cal responded. "Over and over again." He added, thinking of the most recent change in his life, and Emily's part in it. "I can't imagine life without her."

Mitchell smiled as they each talked more and more about Emily. He learned all about her scheme to get them talking, how she wanted to be a journalist, and that she took amazing pictures. In the master bedroom, he even saw one of her amazing pictures, framed on their wall, of the two of them at the beach. The sunset was behind them, and all you could see was their silhouette, but it was beautiful. They made their way back to the dining room, to sit and talk some more.

"So, tell me about what you guys do. It seems interesting." Asked, looking at Cal with anticipation.

"I read microexpressions, and can tell what you are feeling in that particular moment. The expression, paired with your words, can help me figure out what is actually going on." Cal answered. He had found that explaining the science was difficult, and this was the easiest way to make it understandable. "For instance, when I married my first wife, when she said 'I do,' I could see doubt all over her face. That tells me, that she doubted our whole relationship, and wouldn't fight too hard for it." He pointed at Gillian. "This one, showed no signs of doubt at all when se said 'I do.' We haven't had to fight too hard for our relationship yet, but I'm not worried about it not lasting." He said. He flashed a smile at Gillian.

"Do you read microexpressions as well, Gill?" Mitchell asked, facing her.

Gillian nodded. "Somewhat. I have a really good teacher." She laughed, thinking of all the times that she walked into his office, and he would yell to her, "Quick, tell me what you see." She hadn't always been right, and she wasn't as fast as he was. "My role tends to focus more on what is said, rather than facial expressions. I measure vocal stress, and listen to how people say things. I can also analyze notes, and figure out the writer's true intentions. And I never forget a voice. That's my role."

Mitchell smiled. "That's interesting that you are so good at vocal recognition. From what I understand, it's not all that easy."

Gillian shook her head. "It's not. And if I haven't heard the voice in a number of years, it's not something I can easily place. I will get it eventually, it just takes a while." What Mitchell said was true, though. Voices all could sound so similar. Voice IDs are often the hardest to prove in court because of that fact.

Mitchell nodded. "That's really cool. Both of you." He made a note in his notebook. "And how is business?"

"Booming." Gillian answered, and that was the case. They may have lost the FBI contract, but working with the secret service has been nice, and a little less dangerous. "Since Cal's last book, we've been getting a lot of calls. The secret service uses us a lot, and we have been training people in small classes to be able to do the same types of things. So, business is good."

Cal nodded. "Whatever she says is true, she does all the money stuff. I just show up and read people."

Mitchell laughed, and jotted down some more notes. "And how long have you been together?" He asked.

Cal sat forward in his chair. "Depends on what you mean by that. Gillian has been my business partner for ten years now, closest friend for nine years, I have been in love with her for five years, she has been my romantic partner for two years, and wife for two months." He sat back again.

"Okay." Mitchell nodded. "Long history. We don't always see that." He wrote down some notes again. "So, down to the annoying stuff. What is your opinion on discipline?"

"Well, I have always been one for mutual respect. It always hurt Emily when she felt like I had lost respect for her, and that worked the opposite way as well. I never once laid a hand on that girl." Cal answered.

Gillian nodded. "I mean, to me it makes sense to send a child to their room for a while, just to cool off, and then discuss things later. And it's okay to let them vent to other people, because that sometimes helps them to see different viewpoints." She thought of all the times Emily had vented to her about Cal. It helped their relationship, and sometimes helped Emily see the error in her ways, or at least see things from her dad's point of view. "I'm not a fan of yelling, and I was never hit, so I can't imagine doing that to a child."

"Sound like you have this all worked out." Mitchell said, writing things down. "How do you feel about a foster child maintaining relationships with their biological parents and siblings?" He asked.

"It's essential to their development." Gillian took the lead. "I mean, the goal is reunification, correct? If we keep a child from their family, reunification will not be an easy transition for them. Unless the parent is in to some dangerous stuff that puts the child and any other foster children in my care in danger, I think it is perfectly acceptable for them to maintain a relationship. And that goes for siblings more so, because I can't imagine being without my brother."

"Same here." Cal responded.

"And are you two okay with taking in kids from different ethnic backgrounds, sibling groups, and emergency care?"

Gillian nodded fervently. "I want to help out as many children as I can. So yes to all of the above."

Mitchell took a note, and nodded. "Okay then. Next week we will meet again, discuss the results of your background checks, and we will talk more about your own experiences growing up." He turned toward Cal. "If possible, can you get Emily to skype during that time? I technically need to interview her as well, as she is over eighteen. If that time doesn't work, I can always do a phone interview."

Cal nodded. "Whatever you need. I'll talk with her." He answered. They all stood up, and led Mitchell to the door.

"One last thing. The dog, how is it with kids?" Mitchell asked, opening his notebook again.

Gillian laughed. "Lucy loves kids. You should have seen how protective she was of Felix when Erin came over to make centerpieces." She patted the dog on the top of her head. "Lucy is a sweetheart."

Mitchell leaned down to scratch behind her ears, and Lucy licked his chin. Mitchell smiled. "I guess she is." He stood up. "Well, it was great to meet you two." He shook both of their hands. "I look forward to meeting again next week."

"It was nice to meet you too." Gillian answered, as she waved goodbye.

Cal shut the door behind the young man, and the next thing he knew, Gillian's arms were around him. "Thank you for doing this." She whispered while they embraced.

Cal smiled. "Anytime, luv."


	41. Chapter 41

Gillian sat at her desk and stared at the little daily Calendar Cal had got her for Christmas. Each day had a different picture of a puppy on it, and the one on the box reminded her of Lucy when she had been small. That's probably why he had picked it up, as they both had a soft spot for that dog. Today's image was of a black lab and a baby face to face. The black lab was sniffing the baby's face, and the baby's eyes were closed, as if it were anticipating the tongue that was surely about to slip out of the dog's mouth. The date was clearly displayed at the top, February 8th. Out of all the photos on all the days, why this one, with the cute baby on this day. She felt like she was in a fog, and had been having trouble concentrating all day. She attributed that to the calendar. She shifted her focus to the pictures on her desk. One of her and Cal on their wedding day, the picture of all of them at that first beach trip, and the picture of her and Emily in their matching pajamas. She didn't dare focus on the last picture, the picture of that blonde haired blue eyed baby. Not today.

She decided instead to surf Facebook, since she wasn't getting any work done anyway. She decided to check up on Emily, who had recently celebrated her first birthday away from home. She had taken pictures of the cake her roommate had bought for her, and of the few gifts her friends got for her. There was a picture of her in a birthday crown at whatever restaurant they decided to eat at. Joel, the wedding photographer, had commented on it. It was nice to see her keeping a friendship with him, he could have a few ins to magazines when she got a degree, and they seemed to have really hit it off. Gillian navigated away from the teen's page, and on to the timeline, where she could see what all her friends were up to. Erin had a video posted, "talking Felix," and as much as she wanted to watch it, she knew that today it would not make her smile. She scrolled down more. Alex had posted pictures. The pictures had Ria tagged in them. She was dressed in a white dress, that draped gracefully over her noticeable bulge. She was holding a blue balloon. "It's a boy!" the captions said. "Announcing the arrival of Cole Gabriel Duncan, May 2013!" As happy as Gillian had been for Ria, and as supportive as she tried to be, she did not need to see these today. She turned off her computer.

She returned back to the paperwork sitting on her desk. She knew she couldn't concentrate. Each new section of the contract she was reading was immediately forgotten as soon as she moved on to the next. By the time she reached the end of the document, she couldn't have told anyone anything about it. For all she knew, if they signed it, they would be at war with Portugal. She pushed the files away, leaned back in her chair, and sighed. She reached for the remote that turned on her sound system, playing music in her office quietly. She knew she wasn't getting work done.

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, drowning out the world around her. She focused on the songs, ignoring everything else. But when her ipod shuffled to Billy Joel's Lullaby, she reached for the remote and shut the sound system off again.

"Long day?" Her husband's voice made her jump. She put her elbows on her desk and rested her head in her hands.

"Not really, just a lot on my mind. How was your special case? Did Loker behave himself?" She changed the subject quickly.

Cal walked the rest of the way in, and stood at the other side of her desk. "It was alright, and Loker behaved, but I've been at it since before sunup. I'm ready to head home if you would like to follow."

She nodded. Today was one of the rare days they had to take separate cars, and for once, she was thankful for it. "I would love to call it a day, but I have to take care of some stuff first. Meet you there?"

He cocked his head slightly, a sign he was reading her. "You alright, luv?"

She nodded. "I already said, I have a lot on my mind today." She could tell he wasn't buying it. "Listen, I have some things to do, but I promise, we can talk about it tonight." She prayed he would take it, prayed he would listen, but Cal could be pushy, and wasn't always willing to wait.

Something in her face reassured him. He backed away slowly and nodded. "Tonight." He confirmed. He walked around her desk to where she was sitting. He wrapped his arms around her and buried a kiss in her hair. "I'll see you at home, luv." he gave her a few reassuring pats on the back, and then he left. She sat in her office for a bit longer before realizing the time. She left the office, congratulated Ria, and said goodbye to her and Eli, and got in her car. She drove down the street to the neatest Walmart, blasting music the entire way.

There was a long line at the service desk. Gillian eyballed the line, and sighed. She made her way to the back, firmly grasping her printed receipt. She looked at the time, and rolled her eyes. Cal would be annoyed, but this was just something she had to do.

After what seemed like a half hour, it was finally her turn. "Hello." She greeted the young man behind the counter.

"What can I help you with today, ma'am?"

She smiled, handing him the receipt. "I have this order, site to store shipping. I would like to pick it up."

He nodded. "Not a problem, ma'am. What's the name?"

"Gillian Lightman." The name seemed so natural on her lips. She hated that she couldn't use it at work, that her entire professional life was set up on Alec's name. She shook the thought out of her head as she handed the boy a picture ID. He confirmed that it was there and called a stockboy to go and get it. the stockboy returned about 10 minutes later, the box in a cart.

"Would you like me to bring it to your car for you? It's pretty heavy." he asked politely.

Gillian nodded. "That would be great, thank you." She walked him out to her car, opened the trunk, and watched him put it in carefully.

He closed the trunk and shook her hand. "Whatever little girl that is for is really lucky! These kitchen toys have been flying off the shelves."

Gillian grinned. "I'm glad to hear that. I only try to get the best."

He laughed. "Well, you have a great day ma'am."

"You too!" She smiled at him once more before he went inside. Her heart fell a bit, as she knew exactly where this kitchen play set was going. Gillian got into her car and drove away.

She pulled in to the Children's National Medical Center. She parked as close to the entrance as possible and opened her trunk. She tried to lift the kitchen set, but the box was too heavy. She closed it and went inside, deciding to talk to someone at the desk. The woman at the desk was a redhead with a really friendly smile. "Hello, what can I do for you today?" She asked as Gillian strode in.

"I actually have a donation, but it's too heavy for me to lift from my car. I was wondering if anyone could help me out." Gillian crossed her arms on top of the desk, waiting for a response.

The woman smiled. "That is very generous of you. Let me call some people up here." She made a few calls, and before Gillian knew it, two orderlies were down there with her. She walked them outside.

She gestured to where her car was parked. "Let me pull my car closer so you two don't need to walk so far."

"Whatever works for you, miss." One of them answered. She walked over to her car, started it, and drove it to the curb where the two men were waiting. She popped the trunk and stared in awe as the two men lifted and carried the kitchen set with ease. She shook her head and re-parked her car. She headed back in where the woman was still sitting at the desk.

"Can I help you with anything else?" She asked.

Gillian nodded. "Yes, actually, can I donate this in someone's name?"

The woman nodded. "Of course. What is the name?"

"Sophie."

The woman smiled and took down the note. "Thank you for your generous donation. I think the kids will love it."

"I hope so." Gillian smiled a forlorn smile as she turned and left. She got into her car and headed to the grocery store for her last errand.

She found her way to the bakery quickly, it was her favorite spot, after all. She inhaled the smell of all those different cakes and frostings, the muffins and the cookies. She swore, if she hadn't become a psychologist, she would have been a baker. She found the cake she wanted quickly, yellow frosting with little pink flowers. She brought it to the counter, where someone was frosting a cake for a special order. "Excuse me?" The woman looked up. "Is there any chance you could write on this cake for me?"

The baker smiled. "Of course I can! What would you like it to say?"

"Happy 5th birthday, Sophie in red icing I think."

"Not a problem." The baker got to work. "Sophie is such a pretty name."

"I definitely think so." Gillian agreed. She thought of how they had tossed names back and forth, her, Alec, and Sophie's birth mother, Becky. That was the only name they could all agree on, and they didn't decide until just a few days before Sophie was born. When Gillian snapped back to reality, the cake was finished, and the baker was putting it back into its container. Gillian thanked her and brought it to the front to pay for it. It was finally time to go home.

Cal was finishing up dinner when she returned. He kissed her chastely and pointed at the bag.

"What did you bring me?" he asked with a sly grin.

"Chocolate cake!" She answered, laughing.

He grinned at her. "That was the errand you had to run, pick up chocolate cake? What did I miss?" He teased.

She put it on top of the refrigerator. "First, a story. Some of it you already know." She led him to the kitchen and had him sit at the island. "Do you remember when I told you that Sophie was born?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yes, clear as day. I don't think I had ever seen you so happy before, luv."

"Do you remember when I lost her?"

"Yes." He grabbed her hand. "I brought you chocolate and wine. Your house was a wreck, like it always is for parents of infants, except it was silent. You kept saying 'she's gone' over and over and over while I hugged you and rocked you." He watched a tear fall down her face.

"And you know how Alec refused to talk about it, refused to try again." She continued, and Cal nodded. "Well, the only time we talked about her was on her birthday. Alec and I went out and bought her all sorts of presents and donated them all in her name to the children's hospital. Then, we had cake in her honor. The next year, I did it myself. This year, today, I want to include you."

Cal looked confused. "Gill, we have had two of these dates together, why include me now?"

Gillian took a breath. "Well, the first year we had just started dating and I was still vulnerable, I cried about this more back then than I do now. Last year I just still wasn't ready to bring someone in on my special tradition. But now, we are both licensed foster parents." That had been exciting news, when they received the notice in the mail. The long visits with Mitchell were over, and they could have new children in their house at any moment. It was exciting and terrifying all at once. "Now, we could potentially start our own family, and I want this little tradition to be recognized." He smiled at this, and leaned into kiss her passionately.

He pulled away. "I love you Gill. I love this tradition. I can't imagine the pain of losing your child, and I will do whatever you need me to do for you to memorialize those fifty-seven days you spent with that angel." A tear fell down her cheek again as he said this, and Cal slowly wiped it away. He pushed one of her brown curls behind her ear, so he could see her face better."Now, something I will never say again, let's have dessert first, shall we?" He got up and started grabbing plates, while Gillian laughed through her tears. One thing she would eventually learn throughout the rest of her life with Cal, he would definitely say that again.


	42. Chapter 42

Gillian was in the middle of reading a contract for the secret service when she got a call on her cell phone from a number she didn't recognize. She hated numbers she didn't recognize, because she wasn't sure whether to answer with "Dr. Foster" or "Gillian Lightman."

She decided to go with neither. She pressed answer, and held her phone to her face. "Hello." She answered.

"Hi, Gill? It's Mitchell Hayes." The familiar voice on the other side said.

Gillian smiled. "Hi Mitch. What can I do for you?"

"I was actually wondering if you or Cal was home. We have an emergency placement for you."

At this, Gillian perked up. She stood up and started gathering her things, her phone pressed between her shoulder and ear as she shoved her laptop in her bag. "How quickly do you need us there?" she asked, walking swiftly down the hall to Cal's office.

"As soon as possible. How soon can you get here?" he answered.

Gillian sighed as she walked into his empty office. She hated trying to track him down. "Is around twenty minutes okay?" she asked the social worker.

"Perfect." He answered.

Gillian grabbed Cal's cell phone that he had left on the desk, and started walking toward the lab. "Great! See you soon." She heard the familiar click on the other end, and shoved her phone in her purse. She glanced quickly at the cube, but she didn't expect to find anything. As far as she knew, there weren't any interrogations scheduled for the day.

She found him in the lab, sound turned off, analyzing a crowd in footage that the White House had sent over. He turned when he heard the door close, reading the eager expression on her face easily. "What's going on, luv?" he asked, his blue eyes meeting hers.

Gillian clutched her purse and his phone in front of her, eyes smiling. "We need to go home, Cal. They have an emergency placement for us."

He turned around quickly, ejecting the disc from the computer and placing it in a case. "I can analyze this at home." He responded, passing it to her to put in her bag. She traded him his phone for the case, put it in the front pocket of her purse, and leaned into the hug he was offering her. She knew it would only be for a few days, but she was really excited for this, excited to have a child in their house.

She pecked his lips quickly. "Let's go!" She strode from the room without checking to see if he was following, stopping at the desk to tell Heidi to hold all their calls for that day. She felt his arm around her waist as he walked with her, guiding her to their car. He opened the passenger side door for her, before running around to his side.

Cal drove faster than usual down the busy streets, eager to get home. He turned towards his wife, who was gazing out the window. "What do we know about this kid?" he finally asked.

Gillian shrugged. "Nothing. Just that it's an emergency placement, and that they need us home ASAP."

Cal drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "I know you're excited, luv, but don't you think we should know what we are getting into?" he asked, treading carefully. He didn't want to upset her.

She sighed, turning her head to look at him. "Would you really turn away a child in need?" Her blue eyes searched his face.

He grabbed on to her hand and held it tightly. "No." He answered, shaking his head slightly. "I wouldn't."

She squeezed his hand harder. "Then, what does it matter?" She asked, leaning her body toward him.

"It doesn't." he answered, tapping her hand with his thumb. She turned back to the window, watching the people that they passed, wondering what the child would look like. She didn't know anything. She didn't know how old the child was, if it was a boy or girl, what kind of food they liked. She glanced at the clock, it was almost dinnertime, and she realized she would have to cook something soon.

When they pulled up at their house, there was a red SUV waiting for them already. They blocked the side of the garage that he needed to park in, so Cal parked in the driveway. Gillian could see a little boy through the window, light blonde hair that hung in his eyes, and he couldn't be older than seven. Mitch was standing outside of the car, his phone in his hand.

Gillian let herself out of the car. She waved at Mitch, a warm smile on her face. "I was just about to call you again!" He said as he waved back.

"I hope you weren't waiting long!" Gillian responded, checking her watch. It had been closer to twenty-five minutes, but it could have been worse.

Mitch shook his head. "No. I just wanted to let you know we had arrived." He opened the back door of the SUV, beckoning the young boy forward. "This is Tommy." He introduced, placing his hand on top on the young boy's head.

Gillian moved toward the boy, sinking down so that she was on his level, looking into his brown eyes. "Hi, Tommy." She started, a warm smile on her face. "I'm Gill, and this is Cal." The boy looked away, shy and confused. Gillian reached out, touching his arm tentatively. "Are you hungry?" she asked, her blue eyes exploring.

He ignored her, instead looking up at Mitch. "I wanted to go to Aunt Carrie's." He said, his voice sounding small.

Mitch nodded, looking down at the boy. "I know, and you will soon. We just need to find her first." He smiled. "But Cal and Gillian are very nice, I've spent a lot of time with them. You are in good hands, I promise."

Despite the reassurances, Tommy's brown eyes filled with tears. He turned back toward Gillian, looking her in the eye, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm hungry." He answered.

She flashed a small smile and held out her hand. "Come inside, I'll make something quick." She offered. He tentatively took her hand and followed her inside.

Cal watched them leave, a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. Gillian was a natural with kids, and he knew this was the right decision for them in that moment. Mitch handed him a duffle bag and a stuffed bear. "This is what we gathered for him from the house." Mitch explained, his face falling. "He will be with you until we can locate this mysterious aunt, hopefully no more than a few days."

Cal nodded. "Can I ask you what happened?" He cocked his head to the left, making note of every twitch on the social worker's face.

Mitch sighed. "I have a feeling you will find out anyway." He started, looking Cal in the eye. "Authorities responded to a call from a neighbor, who had entered the home like she had every Tuesday morning to help get Tommy ready for school." He stopped, taking a breath, before continuing. "She found Tommy's mother, April, on the floor of the kitchen, multiple stab wounds. Tommy was asleep upstairs. She managed to get him out of the house without him seeing anything, but he's shaken up. His father is unknown, and his mother was all that he had." He explained, looking toward the door that they had disappeared through. "We are having trouble tracking down family. Obviously, there is some family, he keeps talking about his Aunt Carrie, but we can't find her, and we don't know which contact she is in April's phone. Everyone is trying their hardest." He finished.

Cal just nodded, taking it all in. "So, he knows his mother is gone, but doesn't know why?"

Mitch nodded. "Yes. He was asleep upstairs, so he doesn't know anything. He's been numb since we told him."

Cal nodded. "Yeah, that's understandable. Thanks." He offered his hand to the younger man, shaking it firmly. "We will await your call then?"

Mitch nodded. "Yes. When we find the Aunt, I will be in touch."

Cal turned and walked into the house. Inside, he found Gillian cooking spaghetti, and the boy sitting at the island, staring ahead with a blank expression. Cal dropped the bag next to the boy and sat down in the seat next to him, extending a hand. "Hello, Tommy. I'm Cal."

He came out of his trance and looked at Cal, his brown eyes glassy. "You talk funny." He said, staring into Cal's eyes.

Cal nodded. "Yeah, I didn't grow up here." He explained, studying the boy's face. "Tell me about yourself." He asked.

The boy shrugged. "I like to play soccer, and watch Spongebob."

Cal nodded. "Gillian's nieces like to play football. Do you play with any members of your family?" he asked, and Gillian turned around, suddenly aware of where he was going.

The boy's brown eyes filled with tears. "Just with Mom, but not anymore." He rubbed his eyes, and jumped up from the table, running toward the living room.

Gillian tossed the spoon down on the table with a clatter. She looked at him, storms in her blue eyes. "What was that about?" She fumed.

"They can't find his family, I was trying to help." He offered, squaring his shoulders to her, and opening himself up for conversation. "Did you know his mother was murdered? They don't know who or why, and they can't find her family. I was just trying to help."

She shook her head at him. "Don't do that. We need to be here for him, and you getting sucked into his mother's murder isn't in his best interests, okay?" she didn't wait for an answer, just went back to the pasta sauce, turning away from him.

Cal stood up, and walked behind his wife, placing his hands on her shoulders, and pecking her cheek. "Okay. I won't get involved until he is in the custody of his aunt, is that okay."

She took a deep breath in and exhaled. "I would prefer you not get involved at all, but I know you, and I know that won't happen. So, I guess that solution is acceptable."

He squeezed her shoulders, and walked toward the living room, where Tommy was sitting quietly. "Let me know when it's ready, luv. I'm going to turn my brain to mush and watch Spongebob with the poor boy."


	43. Chapter 43

Cal tried to ignore the pang of guilt he felt in his gut as he walked into the busy police station. If Gillian knew he was there, she would be furious. Just last night he had promised to stay out of it until Tommy was gone. He kept telling himself that as long as he wasn't interviewing the boy, directly or covertly, she couldn't be angry because he wasn't involving the child in his obsessive need to solve the case.

He recognize the person quickly, despite her back being to him as she walked away. "Oi! Wallowski!"

The brunette turned, her long hair pulled back into a ponytail, reaching the middle of her back. She flashed a smile his way. "Lightman. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Cal didn't have to read her to sense her sarcasm, he knew he was a pain.

"The April Finnegan case, what's up with it?" He asked, getting straight to the point, falling next to her as they walked to her desk together.

She rubbed the side of her face with her hand. The dark circles under her eyes and the slow way she moved told Cal that she was exhausted. "Why do you care?" She asked, confused. "We don't have any suspects, and we don't know anything about her family. We don't even have people for you to interview." She sighed. "There is nothing that you can do here."

Cal understood why she was so exhausted. It was always frustrating when there weren't leads on a case. "Gillian and I are fostering the boy." He answered, watching her face soften as he talked.

"I always knew you and Gillian were perfect for each other." She responded, and Cal ignored the flash of sadness on her face. She turned toward her desk, picking up the file, and opening it, turning back toward him. "We can't find any family for her. Her contacts in her phone are all nicknames for people, tech is running down a list of all the people the numbers belong to. She doesn't have any pictures on display in the house, not even pictures hanging up of her kid."

"That's strange." Cal offered. He had pictures of Emily hanging up everywhere. "Maybe it's harder for her to take them, her being a single mother and all?" Cal offered, looking at the detective and studying her face.

"That's just it." She started, walking around to the drawers on her desk, and opening one. "I found these in her desk." She pulled out a stack of pictures at least four inches thick. She handed them to Cal. "She has pictures, but none of them are up."

He poured through pictures of the blonde boy, always smiling and laughing, his brown eyes bright. There were even a few of him with his mother. "She looks sad." He said, rubbing his finger over her face. "In just about every photo, when she looks at him, she looks sad." He said again, sorting some into piles. "Not every one of them, but most of them." He looked back toward the detective. "Anything come up that might explain that?"

She shook her head. "No." She pursed her lips together before speaking again. "One more thing that's interesting. We can't find any record of her before the boy was born."

Cal looked up from the pictures, watching her face again. "Do you think she was in witness protection?"

She shook her head. "I already checked, they don't have records of her."

Cal let out a breath. "It's not usually a good thing if people take aliases." Wallowski just nodded, and Cal knew she was thinking the same thing he was, that this had the potential to be very dangerous. He looked back to the pictures, staring at the young blonde woman who bore so much resemblance to her son. "What in the world were you afraid of, luv?"

Gillian didn't really know what to do. She hadn't sent the boy to school today, that was definitely out. He wouldn't have be able to concentrate, especially with the previous day's events in his mind. He had lost his mother, been displaced from his home, and they couldn't seem to find the one person in the world that he trusted. She glanced again at the clock on the entertainment center, wondering if she should check on him. It was almost noon, he needed food, and was it weird that he was sleeping for so long?

She heard the footsteps on the stairs as she was about to get up, and settled back into the couch, changing the channel to Nickelodeon to prepare for the younger presence in the room. She smiled warmly at him as he entered the room, rubbing his puffy eyes. No wonder he slept so long, Gillian guessed he hadn't slept much at all. "Good morning. Are you hungry?" she asked, her voice soft so she wouldn't startle him.

He shrugged. "Not really." He answered, flopping down on the couch next to Gillian. He looked toward the tv, not really watching it, and leaned toward Gillian. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, not trying to pull him into her if he wasn't interested, but giving him that option if he was. "Have they found Aunt Carrie yet?" he asked, looking away from the tv and into Gillian's eyes.

She shook her head. "Not as far as I have heard." She watched his face fall, if that was even possible. "Why don't you tell me about her?" She asked, hoping to bring his spirits up at least a little bit.

He smiled, and leaned in closer, curled up against Gillian's body. "She's cool. She has pink hair, and she paints a lot of pictures." He answered. "And she takes me and Mom out for pizza every Friday." He sat up, looking at Gillian's face again. "Today is Friday! Do you think I will see her?" his eyes searched Gillian's face, looking for any indication that she would have an answer.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Hopefully." She made a mental note, if no one had found the boy's Aunt Carrie, she and Cal would take him out for pizza, the same place they took Sarah and Sadie not so long ago. Gillian looked back at Tommy and ruffled his hair. "I am going to make us something for lunch. But here." She patted the couch next to her, and Lucy hopped up. She was not usually allowed on the furniture, but Gillian made an exception this once. "You can snuggle with Lucy while I am gone, okay?" Tommy nodded, and wrapped his arms around the dog's neck. She was happy for the attention, and laid down next to him.

In the kitchen, Gillian pulled out her phone to send a quick text to Cal. **THIS AUNT CARRIE SHOULD MAKE AN APPEARANCE TODAY. FRIDAY NIGHT PIZZA IS A ROUTINE.**

The response back was quick. **GOOD TO KNOW, THANKS.** She put her phone down and pulled out everything in the fridge that she needed to make sandwiches. She was a little annoyed, Cal said he would only be gone for a few hours, and had been gone all day so far. She wondered when he would be home.

Cal was going through the pictures and videos on April's phone when a female hurried into the station house. She looked worried, and scared as she looked around for someone to help her. "Please, I need to know if he is okay!" She cried at Cal when she saw him.

He cocked his head at her. "You need to slow down, I don't know what you are talking about."

She took a breath, allowing tears to fall from her eyes. "My name is Carole Bray, and I went to my friend's house and found the doors all covered with crime scene tape. I need to make sure that her son is okay!" she explained, looking to him for help.

Cal eyed the younger woman, taking note of the pink streak in the left side of her blonde hair. "You must be Aunt Carrie." He said.

She nodded. "Please tell me that Tommy is alright."


	44. Chapter 44

Cal watched the younger woman through the glass while she sat in interrogation. She was fidgeting, playing with her hands and startling at every sound she heard. Cal could see she was afraid, but she wasn't guilty or ashamed. The only reason that will Wallowski had even named her as a suspect was because she was the only person they had found so far with a relationship to the victim.

Cal heard the door behind him open. "She didn't do it." He said, without bothering to turn around and see who it was.

"I know." Wallowski answered, closing the door softly behind her. She walked over to the glass, standing next to Cal and watched the girl. "But she is the only connection we been able to make to April. I need to see what she knows." She sighed, resting her head in her hands. "I contacted social services and let them know that we found the boys Aunt Carrie, she can pick him up when I am done with her here."

At the mention of Tommy, Cal's stomach fell a bit. Gillian was going to be furious. He thought for a moment about returning home, but brushed the thought away. At this point, she would be pissed no matter when he arrived at home, so he might as well get something out of this. He reached towards the door to interrogation. "Ready, Shazza?"

He barged into the room, sitting in the chair across from the woman, leaning back without crossing his arms, his eyes fixated on hers. It radiated and nonchalant and open vibe, and from the way the younger woman lean towards him, Cal knew she felt safer with him then with Wallowski, with her closed off and harsh demeanor. "So, you like Carrie, not Carole, right?" He asked gesturing toward her for an answer, to which she only nodded. "I have a friend named Caroline who does the same thing." He continued. He held his hand, offering it up to Carrie for her to shake. "My name is Dr. Cal Lightman, and this here is Detective Wallowski." She shook his hand and flashed a nervous smile.

She released his hand, and pushed her pink streaked hair out of her eyes. "It's nice to meet you both." She turned her eyes to Wallowski, which were brimming with tears. "What happened to my friend? Is Tommy okay?" She implored, tears falling again from her blue eyes.

"Tommy is fine, and in capable hands, but I hear he is been asking about you." Wallowski started, and Cal could see the relief flood the younger woman face. Sharon leaned forward, grabbing younger woman hand. "But April," she started and Carrie flinched, closing her eyes and letting her head fall forward. "She was found murdered yesterday morning."

Cal watched Carrie crumple in on herself, and his heart reached out to her. But he had seen something that Wallowski hadn't, and it might've been the clue that they needed. "You knew that April isn't her real name." He stated, he didn't have to ask. She lifted her head, looked at him, and nodded. "Do you know her real name?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. She made an offhand comment once about her old name, and I didn't want to pry." She answered, and Cal could see the truth on her face

Wallowski sighed. "Have you heard her talk about family members?"

Carrie shook her head again. "I've known her for about five years, and in all that time she only talked about her mom."

Wallowski perked at that. "Any chance she mentioned a name?"

Carrie lowered her head, running her fingers through her short hair. "Not that I can recall." She took a deep breath. "I met her at a grief support group. We bonded over the loss of our mothers. I am one of the few people she's ever opened up to." She looked at Wallowski while she talked.

"I'm sorry about your mum." Cal spoke, and Carrie looked to him. "I lost mine too, eons ago. You never really recover, do you?"

She shook her head. "No, you don't." She looked at him sympathetically. "Is it alright if I ask how?"

"Suicide." He answered flatly, not wanting to elaborate. The word still affected him greatly, and he could feel his stomach drop, and feel his heart break.

Carrie must have had a similar reaction. She flinched and set back in her seat. "I'm sorry." She responded. She absently touched the pink streak in her hair. "Breast cancer took mine." She offered.

"What about April's mother?" Wallowski asked.

"Heart attack." Carry answered quickly. "Tommy doesn't remember her, but April was very close to her mother."

"So her mother knew she was living under a different name?" Wallowski asked.

Carrie shrugged. "Perhaps? I don't know." She looked back to Cal. "I never pried. I don't know anything about her past life."

"No other family members then? No siblings, a father, aunts and uncles?" Cal asked her, leaning forward in his seat.

She shook her head again. "No, nothing." She started. But Cal saw her thinking, and he noticed a flash of recognition on her face. "She mentioned her father once." She began and Wallowski perked up, leaning forward in her seat. Carrie continued. "Never by name, but I remember her saying that they don't get along."

Wallowski sighed. "Okay." She held a card for Carrie to take. "If you think of anything, let me know." She walked out of the room, and Cal got up to follow.

He glanced at his phone before leaving, seeing a text from Gillian. **THEY FOUND AUNT CARRIE, ON OUR WAY TO POLICE STATION NOW.** He looked up at the young woman, who looked devastated. "You should be free to go now, Tommy will be here soon. He really wants to see you." She smiled at the mention of his name. Cal smiled back at her and left, following Wallowski to her desk.

She was grinning from ear to ear. I have a name!" She told him as he got closer.

Cal nodded. "And from your smile, I gather you have a lead?"

She nodded. "Patricia Riggs. She has a very estranged relationship with her father, Harold Riggs." She said, thumbing through the file, and hanging his DMV photograph up on the board.

"I have an estranged relationship with my father as well, that means nothing." He retorted.

"She accused her father of rape, he was sentenced to six years in prison." She answered back.

Cal was silent for a moment. "Okay, forget what I said." He answered, sitting in her chair.

"Cal?" He heard Gill's voice, and turned towards it, grinning at her. "Have you been here all day?" She asked as she got closer, Tommy clutching tightly at her hand.

He nodded slowly, and turned his head away, hoping she wouldn't pick up on his shame. "Yeah, I hope interview Carrie." She glared at him but didn't speak, and he knew he would hear about it later.

"Aunt Carrie!" Tommy yelled, removing himself from Gillian's hand and launching himself across the station into the younger woman's arms. She lifted him, crying, and whispering into his ear, smoothing his blond hair.

She walked with him towards the desk, where Cal, Gillian, and Wallowski were all located. She stuck her hand out towards Gillian, and Gillian took it, shaking it firmly. "Thank you for taking such good care of him." Carrie said, tears in her eyes.

Gillian nodded, and smiled warmly, despite how angry she was at Cal for going back on his promise. "Of course."

Tommy wiggled in Carrie's arms until she put him down. He pointed towards Gillian. "Gill make me waffles and bacon for lunch! And we played fetch with Lucy all day. And last night we watched Wreck It Ralph with Cal!"

Carrie smiled at him. "That sounds like a lot of fun. She looked at the adults sitting around the desk. "Thank you both." She addressed both Cal and Gillian.

Tommy had fallen silent, staring up at the picture on the wall. Cal could see the fear manifest before the young boy returned to his stoic condition. Cal leaned down, meeting Tommy at eye level. "Do you recognize this man?" He asked.

Tommy nodded. "Yeah. Mom showed me his picture, told me to hide if I saw him." He answered, looking into Cal's eyes.

"Have you seen him recently?" Cal continued, watching the boy's face.

Tommy nodded. "Yeah." He started, looking towards Carrie, who was knelt down behind him and took his hand.

"When?" She asked him, squeezing his hand softly, urging him to continue.

"He was in my house the other night. I saw him from the top of the stairs, so I hid under my bed."

"The night before you came to stay with us?" Cal asked, and the boy nodded. Cal looked towards Wallowski, who was searching through the file for something. Cal looked back toward Tommy, and smiled at him. "Thank you. That was a big help."

Carrie wrapped her arms around the child, enveloping him in a hug that he crumpled into, finding comfort in someone who finally got it, and he allowed his tears to fall. Carrie squeezed him tightly, softly rocking him back and forth. "What do you say we had home?" She asked him, whispering into his ear. He only nodded in return. Carrie shot and appreciative smile at the other adults in the room as she led the boy to the door.

Wallowski was furiously scribbling on a post-it note, and started to rush after them. She turned suddenly. "I have an address for Harold and his place of work here. Obviously, I need to interview him." She raised her eyebrows and flashed a small smile in their direction. "Anyone want to come along?"

Cal turned slowly toward Gillian. He knew she was mad, he broke his promise, and he knew they would talk. But he had the chance to solve this murder, and he really wanted to. She took in a deep breath, sighed, and nodded at him. It was all the permission he needed. "Thanks, luv." He told her, stepping forward and kissing her cheek lightly. "We'll talk later, alright?"

She nodded at him. "Okay. See you tonight." She conceded, grabbing his hand and squeezing it slightly. He smiled at her in return and followed Wallowski, who had a new spring in her step after the break in the case.


	45. Chapter 45

Gillian cleaned. That's what she did when she was angry. She washed all the dishes from Tommy's stay, made the bed in the spare room, dusted, cleaned and vacuumed her car, and was working on scrubbing the toilets when Cal finally returned home. He leaned down and kissed her cheek tentatively, sensing her anger. "It ended well, luv. I promise." When she didn't answer, he continued. "Harold Riggs was mad at April, said she ruined his life with her accusations. Which we knew weren't really accusations, they were actual fact. DNA proves that Tommy is his."

She stopped, and let out a sigh, still refusing to look at her husband. But her heart ached for Tommy and now his mother. She couldn't imagine raising a kid like that. April must have been very strong. She returned to the toilet without another word.

"It's why she looked so sad in all her photos." He continued. "I questioned him with Wallowski though, and he's being arraigned tomorrow. It's all over."

"Congratulations." Her reply was short as she stood, moving to the sink.

"Gill, I'm sorry."

"Don't start that." She cut him off, finally looking into his blue eyes. "Cal, is this how we are going to parent? Me staying here while you ignore us and do your own thing?"

"No! Of course not!" he answered her, leaning against the sink.

"Well, that's what you did today." Her hand was on her hip, and she was staring at him, hoping he would get it. "This is the only indication I have about how we will be as parents, and it went terribly."

"But I helped solve his mother's murder."

"I know. And congrats on that again." She shook her head and left, walking into the kitchen where she washed her hands. He didn't follow her, not at first. They hadn't fought often, but one thing they had learned was that they needed breaks to cool down. Otherwise, the fights got nasty. She braced herself against the cabinets with her hands and hung her head, taking slow breaths. She heard his footsteps approach, but he didn't speak, so she turned slowly and addressed him again. "Our priority is to be as stable as possible for these foster kids. One way to do that is to have us both here, supporting him."

"So I have to give up work, then?"

It was a stupid response, and she didn't need to be able to read faces to see that he knew it. "No. But you promised to stay away from that case. What about the white house footage you were analyzing? What about any of the other hundreds of cases we deal with? Why this case, Cal?"

"This boy lost his Mum, Gill. He lost her in the worst way possible. She was good to him, despite everything she went through, she was good to him, and I could see the sadness in his eyes. I needed to do something."

Gillian's heart went out to her husband. Yes, she knew these cases hit close to home for him, and Tommy was so young to be all alone in the world. "I get that. But I needed help."

"I know. I'm sorry."

She studied him for a second, noting his genuine apology, and felt her heart race before she spoke again. "I told Mitch we won't take anymore emergency placements."

Anger flashed across his face before he replaced it with his emotionless mask. "Why would you do that?"

She sighed. "Because, I know you, and how you are for cases like this. Who knows how many more we'll get like that! Because I love you, and as angry as I am at you, I don't want you to change yourself." She knew he would change anything for her, to make her happy. But she didn't want to change who he was, she loved that he was so passionate about justice for this boy, and for finding the truth. She didn't want that to change. "I'd rather have a long term placement where we know the backstory and have visitation with birth parents. That way we can both work and be there for the child, like parents are supposed to do."

He blinked, taking a deep breath in and out. "I agreed to this for you. So however you want to do this is fine with me." He agreed.

"Good. So, we're settled?" He nodded in response, and moved to hug her. She accepted, her body still tense with anger, but he squeezed her long enough to calm her down a little.

He pulled away and studied her face. "I can tell you're still a little upset. I'm going to go upstairs and watch my video from the other case. Give you some time to cool off."

She brushed her hair from her face and nodded. "Sounds good. Come join me on the couch when you're all done."

He nodded and disappeared through the doorway. She poured herself a glass of wine and curled up on the couch, pulling up the Netflix queue. She pulled up an episode of Warehouse 13, allowing herself to forget the day, and get dragged along on an artifact hunting adventure. Sometimes, she had discovered, escaping into a paranormal universe helped her for a moment forget the universe she was stuck in. After that episode, she grabbed one of her romance novels from the bookshelf, transporting herself again into another world, this one a whirlwind romance between a cruise ship captain and a business woman with twin boys. She hadn't noticed Cal was in the same room until he lifted her legs, sitting under them, and placing them on his lap. She looked up and smiled softly at him, her anger dissipated. "Hey."

"Good book?"

She shrugged. "I've read better." She turned a page, and met his blue eyes over the top of her book. "I meant it, you know. When I said congrats about solving the case."

He nodded. "I know. And I meant it when I apologized."

She shifted her body to lean up against his, her head resting on his shoulder, discarding the book on the table next to her empty glass. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, and held her closer to him. "I know."

* * *

A/N: I know, this is short, and it's been forever. I hate writing cases, I'm no good at them, and this was supposed to be a chapter with Cal interrogating Harold Riggs, but I couldn't make it sound right, so I did this instead. I hope you all enjoy, and I hope the next update will be quicker.

On a completely separate note, and I sort of feel weird asking this... I have a campaign on Facebook that I would be honored if people could share. Facebook dot com /ordinaryisextraordinary is my way of trying to raise awareness about sexual abuse. Pinned to the top is a video called Ordinary is Extraordinary (Yes, that is me, in case anyone was wondering). If you all could find the time to share the page and the video, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


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